


Bitter Fruit

by FacelessBee



Series: Juice [1]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Akuma no Mi | Devil Fruit, Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Canon-Typical Violence, Different Devil Fruit Monkey D. Luffy, Female Monkey D. Luffy, Gen, Gender Dysphoria, Gender Issues, Multi, Other, Trans Character, Trans Female Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-17
Updated: 2018-10-29
Packaged: 2018-11-01 19:26:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 24
Words: 85,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10928451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FacelessBee/pseuds/FacelessBee
Summary: Birth is messy, but so is living. The Human experience, to live boldly and freely as she never had before. She was going to take the world by storm, but first, she had to get off this damn island!A woman is reborn in place of Luffy and changes everything and nothing. An exploration of the One Piece world and the characters within and how the more things change the more they stay the same. A slow building story that is obviously not Beta'd and very much an indulgence piece.





	1. Elderberries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Every Begining starts with an end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warnings: Death, Animal experimentation.

She was running, feet pounding on the cracked, dry earth. Her gasping breath was the only sound she could hear outside of the ever-persistent buzzing of the electric sky. Only a few more meters and she could duck into the hidden entrance to her home, hopefully not too late.

As the woman passed a large boulder and the towering corpse of what was once a magnificent tree she ducked down behind the boulder. With shaking hands, she desperately groped along the stone surface before finding the hidden keypad. Punching in the passcode the woman strained her ears to listen if her pursuers had caught up. Nothing, no sounds of stamping feet or soldiers barking orders. As the woman sighed she slipped into the small opening on the boulder's face.

The hidden entrance closed behind the woman and cast her into the pitch black, but she knew these stairs by heart and quickly ran down them not slowed at all by the lack of light. Once at the bottom the woman placed her hand on the wall scanner and quickly said the passcode for the audio security check.

“Dr. Son Soo Jung, code AG4519P67UTL1 Delta Blue!”

Audio security match confirmed welcome Doctor Son was the robotic reply as the seamless wall in front of the breathless woman opened, revealing an archway into a large laboratory.

The woman, Doctor Son, quickly stepped into the lab as she began to bark commands at the A.I.

“Diagnostic check on experiment 837XJ and begin draining the fluid from tubes 5 and 9. Run a full security scan on the outer perimeter and begin lockdown procedure 4S. Code Sharron-Alpha-4607-Max!”

Yes, Doctor, fluid drainage initiated for tube 5 and tube 9 estimated time of completion 2.4 minutes. Security scan shows unknowns approaching quadrant H6 and 0B. Numbers, unknown, speed, unknown, status, unknown.

“Yes, Yes, I know that already, where are we at on lockdown status?”

Lockdown procedure 4S has been initiated, all entrances are now blocked and the current generation has been increased by 80%, all non-vital functions are offline. Flooding system is prepared for launch upon command.

The woman hummed in acknowledgment of the A.I.’s report as she began to roll medical gloves onto her hands and put a lab coat on. She quickly walked towards one of the many large tubes filled with an opaque liquid and what appeared to be an animal. The creature appeared to be a demented cross between a dolphin and a snake, with scales covering its body and a snakehead in place of what should have been a bottlenose and smooth slope. The strange creature had a body much longer and sleeker than a normal dolphin as if one had stretched the poor creature like putty. The woman began to check the readings on the computer screen next to the tank as the A.I. continued to report.

Experiment 837XJ has begun to respond to external stimuli but has maintained Theta level brainwaves. Blood oxygen levels and pulse are stable. 837XJ has exhibited no chemical or physical changes since last diagnostic check.

“Fucking hell, what are the levels of the water pH, maybe that is the issue”

pH levels 7.01, unchanged.

“Fuck it, increase by .5 and prepare for the release of the subject. Even if only three make it that is better than nothing.”

Affirmative doctor. Tubes 5 and 9 are fully drained, decontamination processes initiating in 1.7 minutes. Unknowns have spread to all quadrants, attempted breach of entrance U7 and 02D.

“God DAMNIT, those bastards are trying to flush me out. I will die before letting them get their filthy government hands on my life’s work. Begin the destruction process of all unreleased test subjects and corruption of all files. Start flooding the lower levels after the shutdown of systems. Code Gamma-3850012-Alpha-Fox-769439.”

Shutdown commencing, total laboratory shut down estimated in 11.7 minutes, flooding in 21.6 minutes. All experiments are being drained, estimated time for completion 7.4 minutes. File destruction at 4 percent, 9.7 minutes remaining. Entrance U7 Has been compromised, electric current has been activated.

“Alright, I have 20 minutes left, damn those bastards to hell and back, where did I put my gun?”

Doctor Son began to desperately search for the gun, she knew there was no getting out of this but damn if she wasn’t going to put up a good fight. As her hand finally closed around the butt of the gun she heard an explosive go off from above. Cursing she checked if the gun was loaded before barking orders at the A.I.

“Give me ETA till total Deletion”

1.5 minutes until complete shutdown of all life support functions. File deletion at 98 percent -buzz- flooding levels at -crack- -buzz- All systems shutting down. Initiation -beep- A.I. corruption -CRACK- It has been a -buzz- with you -fzzt- Son.

“Hope you go on to A.I. heaven, lucky bastard.”

Whatever reply she may have received was never heard as water began to rush into the room and another explosion rang out from the wall in front of Son.

“Come on you mother fuckers, if I am going to Hell I am taking you all with me!”

It was within the span of a few seconds that many things happened, water was now up to the Doctors knees and rapidly rising just as the wall was forced open by another explosion. Debris and shrapnel flew into the flooding lab followed by troops in tactical gear. The first of whom was met with a bullet to the head and a manically smiling doctor.

“Hello, gentlemen.”

Son began cackling as she dove behind a table that had tipped over due to the flooding. She knew there was no escaping as bullets pierced the table she was behind. The splashing of feet accompanied orders she could not hear over the rushing adrenaline and pain of the multiple bullet wounds. Turning to peek over the table she saw the soldiers fanning out, taking aim, she attempted to shoot another, only to have the gunshot from her hand and more bullets lodge themselves into the table.

“Doctor Son come out with your hands up, you are under the custody of the Government now. If you comply with us, you can make it out of here alive.”

“Alright, look my hands are up.” Son stood on shaking legs, her wounds pulsing with each beat of her heart.

As Son stood with her hands up the soldiers surrounded her. She looked around briefly counting the heads, all the troops had surrounded her and it looked like even a General had come to greet her. Strange for a Government pig to have come all the way down to her labs, but one less chess piece for the Government in the end.

“Not much of a fight, I expected more from you Son.” The sneering face of the General was not what Son wanted her last sight to be, as she sure as hell wasn’t going to let the man have the last word.

As the General stepped down the stairs to meet the troops' frog marching the Doctor, she began to smile. The moment his feet were submerged in the water, Son threw herself back and pulled activated the death switch of her ring. The splash of water and yelling of the General was the last thing she heard before the electric current of her ring was amplified by the water and her heart stopped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who is re-writing this. Ya'll thought I was dead but nope, just wishing I was. Re-written and posted July 2018.


	2. Pomegranate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Family shapes us into what we become.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning: Birth scene, non-graphic death

Birth is a messy process, with pain and screaming and a gush of fluids as an infant is expelled from the mother’s body. This horrible process is only exacerbated by the fact the woman in labor only had the local doctor to help ease the birth. No one else could help, anesthesia far too expensive and rare for a village doctor to have access to, and the man who put her in this position nowhere to be found.

The woman screamed as another contraction hit her, pain rippling its way through her body. The baby was coming far too early but even so, it seemed ready to tear out of the woman and take on the world.

“You are doing so good ma’am, just a few more pushes and you’ll be done.”

The woman grits her teeth and pushed with the next contraction, praying for this ordeal to be over with. Another push and then like a cork popping off champagne the pressure released, her child coming out to greet the world. There was something wrong though, there was no wailing, no sound at all from her child.

“My baby!”

The doctor just hummed as he lifted the infant and gave it a few solid smacks on the rear. A wet coughing sound followed the third smack before the infant took its first inhale, and then shortly began to wail as if the world had already mortally offended it. Perhaps it had, being manhandled as such would be offensive to many.

“Well looks like you have yourself a healthy baby boy, and a good set of lungs on him ta’ boot!”

The doctor laughed as he handed the exhausted woman her infant. Bundled in a soft red blanket the infant looked quite the picture, with his small wrinkled face scrunched up in distaste and a wet mat of black fuzz atop his head.

“Thank heavens,” the woman sighed as she looked at her infant with a wry smile, “he looks nothing like his father.”

“Yes ma’am, I can tell you he’ll grow up ta’ be your spitting image, none of that hulking non-sense of his father’s.”

Both adults chuckled at their jokes before the baby decided to make itself known once more.

“Oh, poor thing, mama forgot you’d be hungry.” 

The woman continued to chuckle gently as the infant latched onto her, suckling as if he was afraid to lose his first meal.

“Well, you sure have your father’s appetite.” The woman chuckled again before slowly beginning to drift off. “Hmm, Luffy, how do you like that name, Monkey D. Luffy.”

The doctor noted the name down on paper before lifting the child away from the dozing mother, it would not have been right to let her risk dropping the precious bundle. As he moved the infant toward the cot he looked down at the child. Soft downy black hair sat atop a red face but even as the infant yawned the doctor could see an intelligence in those black eyes. Indeed, the baby would look much more of his mother, but the doctor could see a frightening awareness in those eyes that he had not seen in many years, not since he helped with the birth of the infant’s father. The baby was still cute though, in the way all newborns are with large watery eyes and red wrinkled faces, untouched by the chaos and evil of the world.

“Seems almost cruel of your mother to give you such a name, the ‘Will of D’ is strong in your blood, but a heavy burden to carry.”

“I think it suits him.”

The doctor startled at the new voice, turning to face the speaker with both fear and elation on his face.

“Dragon m’boy you made it here fast, I was not expecting you to for another month, when this little one was actually meant to come out.”

The imposing man just stared at the doctor before looking down at the sleeping child. The doctor could almost swear he saw a smile in those dark eyes. The doctor strode over to the man before handing the child over to him.

“Here, hold your child ya fool.”

Dragon fumbled for a second before holding the infant in his arms. His large hands made the infant look even smaller and the sleeves of his shirt did nothing to hide the fact his arms were thicker than the baby. The comparison of the giant man with the tiny baby was humorous, but in the man’s arms, it was clear the child was his.

“He’s a small thing but knowing his parents,” at this, the doctor gave Dragon a meaningful look, “he won’t stay tiny for long.”

As the doctor went to prepare a cot for the infant Dragon continued to look down at his son. Fuck this was his son, this tiny fragile baby, an innocent little bundle of hope. All Dragon could think of as he looked down was this, over and over how this corrupt world would dig its claws into his baby and rip all the innocents out. He thought back to the slave ship he had been ordered to guard before he was given his requested time off. The broken shells that were once people, and of the young mermaid who had been the golden goose of the whole ‘cargo’. Even thinking of those people as cargo made Dragon shudder, but he could not change it. Being a marine meant he had no choice but to follow the laws even if they were inhumane and only caused suffering for those unlucky enough to not be a Celestial Dragon.

The baby, Luffy, gurgled in his sleep and Dragon could not stop the smile that lit his features. He would just have to change the world so his son would never have to deal with the corruption of the World Government and the whims of the Celestial Dragons. Putting the infant into the cot Dragon pulled up a chair and held the sleeping wife’s hand as he looked at the sleeping child.

“I promise to keep you two safe.”

 

* * *

 

Dragon could feel his heart leap into his throat while watching his beautiful wife throw their infant into the sky without a care. His lovely ocean pearl was truly going to kill him. Again, the woman threw the child up, using her fruit power to fly the child higher and higher with each toss.

“Darling could you not toss Luffy so high-up, it makes me nervous.” Dragon knew if any of his fellow Revolutionaries could see him now they could laugh at the image he made. This giant of a man nervously twitching with each squeal of his child. Honestly, Dragon trusted his wife, she is a smart and powerful woman and he married her for a reason, but her attitude on safety for their child left much to be desired.

Again, a full body twitch made the man shudder as his wife simply stuck her tongue out at him and threw Luffy the highest yet to spite him.

“Kasasasasa, my love you worry too much, look at little Luffy.” To emphasize her point the laughing woman threw the child at Dragon. “Catch love!”

Dragon let out a startled yelp as he lunged for the giggling child, skidding on the sand as the child floated above his head. Dragon debated how much he truly loved his wife, seeing as this was the third time today she had pulled that same trick. He let out a groan as his wife let herself fall onto his back, catching the floating child in her waiting hands.

“Hmm, how do you feel about giving Luffy a little sibling in a couple years?” The woman asked as she laid on her husband’s back, bouncing their child on her stomach.

“Only if I get to name the next one.”

“No way, you’ll name ‘em something stupid like Dragon Jr.”

“A respectable name, and good for a boy or a girl.”

“NOPE!”

The couple broke down into chuckles as the baby blew bubbles at the flirting parents. Chubby hands grasping and a gummy smile splitting the child’s face as it gurgled and babbled.

 

* * *

 

The smoke stung her lungs, the heat from the fire burning her delicate skin but she could not stop. Those damned marine bastards had found the safe house and had burned it to the ground, with her still inside! All because Dragon had sunk a few ships!

Holding her child close to her chest the woman ran through a window, jumping through the shower of glass and not caring of the scratches and cuts. Her only concern was to get to the raft and get away as fast as possible. Dragon would find her, of that there was no doubt, the only question was if he would find her alive.

Luffy was frighteningly silent through the whole ordeal, not a single sound nor whimpers or cry, he simply watched as his mother desperately ran through the forest. The blazing fire of what was once their home burning in the distance as she made it to the raft, pushing off the shore and securing the infant.

“Flying wind!” The woman called out, her words lost into the deafening gale that whipped up around the small raft, pushing it forward and picking up speed with each gust. The woman continued to hold her child close as she prayed to any deity for clear seas and skies.

The woman hummed a wordless tune as the infant watched her face. Large black eyes tracing the path the woman’s tears cut through the soot coating her cheeks.  Clutched to the woman’s heaving chest the infant grasped at her charred blouse. For many hours, their flight continued an unnatural wind pushing them at dangerous speeds. Soon the sun began to rise over the horizon and with it the woman saw what she had been praying for, a small vessel rapidly approaching them.

“DRAGON!” The woman bellowed out, startling the baby from the slumber it had fallen into.

“Mama? Pa here?” The small infant asked.

“Yes darling, yes he is here. We’re safe.”

Fresh tears dripped down her face as she went to stand, but crumbling as her ankle informed her it had been broken for a while and the wounds from the marine bullets releasing fresh blood. The small ship was fast approaching, she only had to hold out a bit longer. As the woman fell she jostled the infant in her arms, causing the baby to let out a distressed whimper.

“Shh-Shhh baby, I love you Luffy, my darling boy, mama loves you so much. You know this right? Know mama loves you and will always be with you, sweet baby.” The blood loss and exhaustion were making her woozy, but she had to make sure her baby knew how loved he was.

“Love mama,” Luffy replied, a solemn expression on his face as if her little baby knew she wasn’t long for the world. It was going to be okay though, Dragon would protect their precious bundle, or else he would find a very angry wife waiting for him in the afterlife.

 

* * *

 

Monkey D. Garp knew he wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, but even he knew something was amiss when his turn-a-coat son called him on his private Den-Den Mushi line.

“What do you want brat, calling to break your old man’s heart again?”

“Father…”

Well, that was strange, Garp couldn’t remember that last time Dragon had called him any term of endearment. Must be bad then, maybe his son finally realized this whole Revolutionary thing just wouldn’t work out.

“Well spit it out, your old man doesn’t have all day. I am a Vice-Admiral you know!”

“…” the Den-Den Mushi seemed to struggle for a second, it’s face morphing as if Dragon had lost the speaker and someone else was attempting to take it.

“Gran’pa!” Well, that was unexpected, the face of the snail had morphed to what could only be that of an infant, perhaps a year old at the most.

“Luffy no, you can’t take things that aren’t yours.”

Even more unnerving to hear Dragons rumbling voice coming out of that face.

“Gwahahaha, brat, are you so desperate for workers you hired a baby?” Garp laughed boisterously before what the infant said caught up with him. “Grandpa?”

“Father… I need your help… please.”

“Where are you brat?”

 

* * *

 

“And he needs to be fed every two hours or else he gets fussy and- Garp please pay attention.”

The Vice-Admiral just snorted at his son as he lifted little Luffy to his face. Dragon was acting as if he didn’t help raise a child before. As if reading his mind Dragon snorted before muttering something about his dearly departed mother.

“Gan’pa”

What a cute little grandson, already recognizes his grandfather.

“Don’t worry I’ll take him somewhere safe, somewhere in the East Blue. Do you want to know which Island?”

“No, I can assume which one anyway… just keep him safe.”

With one final look at his son, Dragon turned and went back to his boat.

“Papa, no leave papa, PAPA!” Garp struggled to hold the squirming bundle of screaming child as Dragon jumped onto his boat.

Dragon felt tears begin to track their way down his face as Luffy’s screams followed his retreating boat. The loss of his wife and now leaving his son behind was far too cruel of the world, but no he had to be strong he was a leader now. No weak-willed man could reshape the world and Dragon knew it was the only way to keep Luffy safe.

“I love you little one.” He whispered before the storm overtook his boat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey so yeah updated on July 2018 and an added scene with family time so woops.


	3. Alyssum

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning: Misgendering, Garp being Garp

She hated it, being kept in this small village for safety, like a bird in a gilded cage. She may have been only five but even she could recognize a prison when she saw one, no matter how sweet the berries belladonna was still deadly. And her caretaker, such a naïve woman, sweet, but so very gullible.

“Makino, food please.” The little girl looked up from her perch at the bar with large doe eyes, her entire being radiating an aura of helplessness.

“Goodness Luffy you just finished your last plate, give it some time to digest.” The green haired woman giggled, patting the little girl’s black locks.

Puffing out her cheeks in a way she knew was endearing the little girl stared right as Makino, unblinking. She knew it was unnerving to be on the receiving end of her patent Dead-Fish Stare but really it had been months and Makino still had those slip-ups. Makino looked at her confused for a few seconds before gasping at her mistake.

“Oh Kourei   I am sorry, I keep forgetting.” Makino sheepishly smiled at the little girl before pinching at the inflated cheeks. “I’ll go get you a dessert as an apology, how’s that sound?”

Kourei nodded her ascent. She knew logically it wasn’t Makino’s fault she kept forgetting her name after all Garp had told them she was a little boy named Luffy. Not that it mattered to her that much, but after decades as a woman it is hard to think of oneself as a male.

“Dahahaha, come on Benn, lighten up, it was funny! And we got away with no damage so I call that a win!”

There was also that, pirates. Turning to look at the boisterous collection of men Kourei stared at the loudest of the bunch. She assumed he was the captain, what with the way the rest of the group seemed to gravitate around him and the charisma the man exuded.

What a noisy bunch, drinking and eating all the food and making a general mess. And that hair, such a vibrant red was no better than painting a target on one's back, far too recognizable. Any idiot with brain cells would have dyed it a plain brown, less conspicuous. So deep in her thoughts about the practicality about red hair and the general stupidity of pirates Kourei didn’t notice when the captain stopped telling his joke and stared back at her.

Huh, she thought, well with a scar like that there is no use dyeing his hair.

“Hey, brat if you keep up with a face like that it might get stuck that way.”

Well, rude, this was her normal face, not like she could change it or anything. Plus, faces only got stuck if the person had a medical condition.

“Kid you’re still staring, aren’t you going to say something back, looks like you want to.”

Why would she waste energy responding to him? Such a useless endeavor that would be. Pirates don’t listen to anybody, let alone a child. With that thought in mind, Kourei finished the dessert Makino had placed down and then hopped off her stool. Straightening her dress and dusting off any crumbs she gave the pirates one last fish-eyed look before turning towards Makino.

“Thank you, Makino.”

“Of course, go run along now and play with your friends.”

Kourei nodded before exiting the tavern, the laughter of the pirates following her out. She could hear the loud man asking for more beer and sake. At least they were nice enough for pirates, no pillaging and plundering like she remembered from how pirates were like in the Before. If they had turned out unscrupulous then Kourei would have had to get rid of them. Makino did so hate when Kourei decided to remove a patron, she kept telling the child that certain flowers and berries were dangerous and should not be put in others food and drinks. As if she didn’t already know this, but the woman was just too sweet and trusting and someone had to protect her.

The children playing on the street looked like they were having fun. Playing a simple game of Hoop and Sticks with a few others simply play fighting with the spare sticks. Of course, her standing in the street was very conspicuous and the other children swiftly spotted her.

“Hey guys run, it’s the freak!” One little boy yelled before dropping his stick and taking off, the other children following in short order while yelling.

She scoffed at this, before going to collect the dropped sticks and hoop. No use leaving a mess for others to trip over, and free toys are always a bonus. Kourei never did understand where the other children picked up on the term ‘freak’. The other children should not have understood the strangeness of her wearing a dress and she had never gone out of her way to hurt them so it had to have been learned from the adults.

For someone so very smart Kourei could never claim to be fully self-aware of how strange her behavior truly was, after all when you are a full-grown woman trapped in the body of a child ‘normal’ becomes purely a matter of perspective.

“Well, that was quite rude of them.” A voice startled the girl, making her drop the collected playthings.

Turning she saw the pirate she had been observing earlier. He was taller than she was expecting, she still not used to the towering physics of the people in this land. The unnatural shapes and sizes people came in still shocked her at times. Turning back to her self-appointed task the girl ignored the pirate. She already knew children were rude, that was nothing new.

“Hey kid, why are you picking up their mess?” Continued silence from the girl as she put the hoop over a shoulder and the bundle of sticks under the other arm.

“I am pretty sure Makino didn’t mean for you to do this as ‘playing with a friend.’” He was looking at her, a strange sort of understanding flashing in his eyes. She hated it, people pretending they knew what she was feeling. If she was upset she would tell Makino, but children being children was nothing to get upset over.

“It’s fine.” She replied, muttered under her breath so quietly Shanks almost missed it.

“So she does talk! Good to know you aren’t mute and can talk.”

The girl just stared at him, he had heard her thank Makino, why would he think she was mute? She was just selective with her words, careful so as not to hurt someone with a sharp barb or cruel phrase. After all, words could hurt just as much as a fist or knife and could leave just as large a scar.

“The silent treatment again, damn kid, I have never seen such a serious little brat before.”

Well, that is unsurprising, most children don’t have the same awareness she does. Shrugging, Kourei makes to walk away before pouting at the realization that even with the man squatting she still falls under his chin. She does have a closer view of his scars though, noticing the three claw marks crossing over his left eye. Surprising he wasn’t blinded by whatever did that, she thought.

“Brat, you're staring.”

Kourei hums at that and before she can stop herself asks, “Does the scar tissue effect your vision at all?”

The man stared at her for a few seconds before bursting out in laughter. “DAHAHA, brat most people ask how I got the scars, not how they affect my vision, dear god what are you a little doctor in training?” He continued to laugh tears forming in his eyes at the strength of the humor.

Kourei just looked at the man, unblinking and dry as a desert. “Idiot,” she said before walking away. She hoped after he left this little island village there would be no more pirates for a long time.

 

* * *

 

 

“Grandpa!”

“LUFFY!”

Oh, shit he was not going to do what she thou- and there goes the Geppo. Turning Kourei began to run away from the shoreline she had been standing at. What was even the point of him taking a boat if he wasn’t going to dock the damn thing? And who in the blazing hells gave that man permission to violate all known laws of physics and gravity. She hated when he did that, acting like breaking her little scientific heart was no big deal.

“FIST OF LOVE!”

Fuck she went tumbling far on that one. Rolling with the punch before bouncing back up to continue running Kourei couldn’t help the curses that slipped past her lips.

“Fuckin’ old geezer you could hurt someone with that.”

She did love her grandfather, really, she did, he just had no common sense and the intelligence of an aggressive slug. It didn’t help she had to change out of her dresses when Garp came to visit, she had no clue how he would react to his ‘grandson’ wearing dresses and she really did not want to risk being shunned by her only family.

“Come back here and take my Fist of Love brat!”

Fuck, Makino would stop this madness, she just had to make it to the tavern. Gasping for breath as she ran, all Kourei could think of was how she really hated this part of their reunions. That was her last thought before Garp caught up and swung his fist at her head. She was out cold before he could even yell out his attack.

An indeterminable time later Kourei swam back into the world of the living and found herself sitting on a warm arm with her face pressed into a rumbling chest. The soft chatter of Party’s Bar white noise to the sound Garp inhaling his food.

“Grandpa, I hate you so much.”

“Gwahaha what was that brat, you can’t say you hate your gramps as you snuggle me!”

“Hmm,” Kourei ignored the stubborn man as she nuzzled her face into his chest. Really though he seemed to just radiate heat, it was quite cozy, maybe she could go back to sleep.

“Luffy, if you fall back asleep Garp will eat all your food.” Ah, sweet Makino really knew the magic words that made her belly growl.

Turning around on the arm supporting her Kourei leaned against her grandfather as Makino handed her a plate loaded with meat and potatoes, another plate already waiting on the bar for her when she finished.

“Juice please,” Kourei asked as she began shoveling in the food. Really no matter how hard she tried her body just acted on its own volition until she was at least half-full, shoving food in her mouth without thought or care of the mess or bones. She would never tell Makino this, but she was sure she had swallowed at least three full fish skeletons once before her mind caught up with her body. The joys of having no gag reflex and the metabolism of a hummingbird, maybe she could join a circus and get off this island; yes, she could see it now, The Astounding Wonder, The Girl with the Stomach of a Sea King, watch her eat her weight in food, not a single bone left on the plate. A giggle escaped around the mouthful of potato, she would eat the circus out of the tents before the end of a week, a sunk cost if there ever was one.

“What is so funny brat?”

Ah, grandfather hadn’t fallen asleep yet, he must have been waiting for her to finish eating. Really for such a brash man he really was sweet at times.

“I am gonna join a circus and eat the tents.” was her unthinking reply.

“Brat you’re going to be a Marine.”

He hadn’t hit her, maybe he knew she was joking, yeah no he was picking his nose and staring off in space, probably not even paying attention to what she was saying. A reflex reply then, good she would have hated explaining the joke to him, makes them less funny. Makino had giggled though, that counted as a success in her books then.

Really the village wasn’t so terrible when Garp was here, maybe she could convince him to retire and stay here. No that was a bad idea, Garp would sink the island in his boredom within a month. Maybe ask him to take her with him, last time he said she was too young to leave but she was six now, surely old enough to go with him. Hmm, later though she was sleepy now, having finished all her food Kourei rested her head against Garp and fell asleep within seconds.

 

* * *

 

 

“Oh,” Kourei stared blankly at the Red-haired man as he entered the tavern, “you’re back.”

“DAHAHA, brat you act surprised.”

“Well, I had been hoping you had been caught by the Marines or eaten by a Sea King, maybe both.”

“Kid it would take more than a measly Sea King to take out my crew, and the Marines run away at the sight of my flag, I am a great pirate after all!”

“Wonder why a ‘great pirate’ such as yourself is doing here in the weakest sea on such a quiet island.”

Shanks gaped at the kid sitting on the bar as her dark eyes bore into him, was this brat judging him, Red-Haired Shanks!? He watched as she huffed a little before turning back to the bar and continuing to eat plate after plate of food. That brat she had just dismissed him.

“Brat don’t ignore me!” Shanks had no clue why but that brat had a way of just getting under his skin.

“Shanks please leave Kourei be,” Makino stood between the two of them when had he walked over to the kid, with her hand on her lovely hips, “and Kourei you know not to be rude to our customers, apologize to Shanks.”

The brat just stared at him again, her eyes were so unnerving. What should have been emotive fisheyes instead felt razor sharp, no clear emotion passing through. Eyes are supposed to be the windows to the soul, but this brat’s eyes were more like a peek into the deep ocean, fathomless and dark with the clear threat of unknown danger.

“Idiot.”

“BRAT!”

Really just one hit was all he needed, a good punch to the head and the kid would surely bother him less. But he couldn’t push gentle Makino out of the way, he would have felt like a monster if she got hurt by his frustration.

“Makino move so I can show this brat a lesson.”

“No Shanks, you can’t bully Kourei like that, and Kourei don’t think I can’t see your smirk.”

What smirk, the brat was like a stone wall- wait was that, yes, the brat was smirking, it was barely there but Shanks could see her eyebrow cocked a few centimeters and one side of her lips pulled up. And it was gone, back to the stone wall. Shanks could not remember the last time he met a kid with that kind of facial control.

The kid was standing now, brushing off her dress and looking directly up at Shanks.

“If you are really such a good pirate then teach me to swim.”

What was with this brat, one second colder than a winter island and the next making demands as if he owed her anything. And such a random demand too, it clearly wasn’t a request with the challenging tone she had, why would she think he could teach her to swim.

“The Sea King makes it dangerous to swim in the ocean, and no one here is strong enough to scare it. If you are a strong pirate then you can keep it away as you teach me.” Was this brat reading his mind or something!? “And no, I can’t read minds, no matter how simple they may be.”

She was mocking him, this little brat.

“And what makes you think I won’t let the Sea King eat you?”

“You may be an idiot, but you are too nice to leave me to drown. Plus, Makino would hate you forever if you did.” Damn if this kid didn’t have him pegged.

“Fine, I’ll teach you how to swim later, after my men and I have filled up here.”

Kourei nodded before leaving the tavern, as Shanks stared after the brat Makino began to laugh into her hand. “She likes you~.” The green-haired woman said in a sing-song tone as Shanks looked at her incredulously.

“She is going to poison me!”

“Nope,” she smiled, popping the ‘P’ with flourish, “If Kourei didn’t like you she would have just ignored you, she even gave you a nickname.”

Shanks could hear Yassop laughing, asking how being called an idiot was a nickname, he really had to agree with the marksman on that one.

“And if she had poisoned your drink I would have told you.”

Well shit, he had only been joking about that part. Maybe he should teach the brat how to swim unless he wanted to risk wasting good sake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Kourei spelled as 凰麗 in kanji meaning “Resplendent Phoenix” because of reasons, when shortened to just Kou it means Phoenix. I am a nerd who spent like an hour looking this up so fight me.
> 
> Updated July, 2018


	4. Breadfruit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Triggers: non-graphic injury, implied character death, misgendering, implied animal experimentation

“SHANKS YOU IDIOT!”

Kourei was standing at the entrance of the Tavern, her face contorting in a mask of frustration and anger as her waterlogged dress dripping at the threshold. Shanks had never seen her face do that before, red as a tomato and scrunched up in a way that could not be described anyway other than unattractive.

“What’s the matter princess, you look like you just lost a fight with a fish,” Yassop asked as he went to crouch next to the shaking kid. The sniper really spoiled that brat, if she was yelling that loud she was fine.

“I was waiting on the ship for hours but you IDIOTS weren’t setting sail,” Ah so she tried to stowaway, “and I fell off the dock when I left the ship so now my favorite dress is ruined and IT IS ALL SHANKS FAULT!”

Really this brat, Shanks loved the little girl but she was so stubborn at times and really for someone who claimed to be the ‘smartest person on this god-forsaken spit of land’ she did not plan things through very well. Oops she was glaring at him and… was she crying, why was there blood on her face!

“Kourei your face is bleeding!” No, he wasn’t worried about the brat, nope not one bit.

Getting an armful of a sobbing child was not exactly what Shanks would call pleasant, especially with her dress being soaked through with seawater and her face bleeding from a large gash on her lips.

Makino came rushing over with a medical kit in hand and cooing platitudes at the ready. Shanks had to wonder if the woman was psychic when it came to the kid. “Here Kou, look at me, let me see your face.”

The green-haired woman was good with the kid, Shanks could see her being a great mother one day.

“-hic- and I fell -sob- and the pole jus’ - hit my face and, and my teef feel out and it hurts maKINO”

The girl really did have a set of lungs on her and was such an ugly crier too. Shanks almost felt bad for whoever got hitched to the brat. Well until he cut them down for even looking at the little princess that is.

Makino was cleaning up the snotty face and Shanks could not help the grimace that flashed across his own. That wound was going to scar no doubt about that. The cut looked like a top and bottom tooth had been knocked out and whatever had knocked out the teeth cut down her lips. Kourei would not let him forget about this, he knew she was going to blame the scar on him, somehow, and he was just so weak to those damn doe eyes he would take the blame. The redhead just sighed as the girl continued to sob on his lap as she was fussed over by Makino and Yassop. He was an adult he can deal with this.

With all the commotion the child was causing with her crying and whimpering everyone forgot about the Devil Fruit sitting on the bar, Benn only remembering to grab the chest after Kourei had been put to bed.

 

* * *

 

 

She was staring at him, he could feel it as he ate the curry in front of him. Why was she looking at him? Shanks knew she should still be eating her food. Shit, what if she tried to steal his meal. Curling closer to his food Shanks turned to look at the little girl sitting next to him on the bar. Kourei was staring at him, or more precisely she was staring at his hat.

“Shanks…”

“Yeah, brat.”

“Can I try on the hat?”

His first instinct was to say no, his gut reaction to hide his precious treasure from the child’s dissecting gaze. He had seen the child tear through doors and destroy property in a fit of pique, he did not want to risk His Captian’s hat in her chubby hands.

“Why do you want to try it on, brat?”

“‘cause it is your treasure, and…” the rest of her words mumbled into her little hands.

“What was that brat?” He never understood where these bursts of shyness came from with the little princess. Normally the girl was prone to speaking her mind loudly and with no hesitation, but moments like this reminded Shanks she was, in fact, a little kid no matter how mature the brat acted.

“-ok like you.”

“Huh?”

“I SAID I WANT TO LOOK LIKE YOU!”

Kourei’s face was beet red after her little proclamation, and Shanks could not help the laughter that he felt bubbling in his chest, along with a fond emotion he did not want to name. She really was such a little brat once he got past her Ice Princess act.

“How about I get you a treasure of your own instead?” No matter how cute the kid is though, he would not put the burden on this hat on her little head.

The girl’s face lit up like a firework after his question, and she began bouncing in her seat, rattling off what she considered ‘precious treasure’ to mean. I really needed to stop spoiling her, was all Shanks could think about as he smiled down at the bouncing girl.

 

* * *

 

 

She was so happy. Kourei knew that Shanks was just trying to distract her from the fact he was leaving soon, but he just bought her a pretty cotton dress the same color as his hat, a lovely straw yellow with cute red flowers across the skirt, and a red sash to match his. So, she did not care that he would be gone for her birthday because she was being spoiled silly today. He had also promised she could get one more item.

As she continued to walk down the street holding Shanks hand she felt very proud of herself for her planning as they approached the only metal worker in town. The collection of shells she and Shanks had collected earlier that day from the shoreline jingled in one of the many small bags lining the man's sash. The girl had explained to Shanks that the only treasure she would accept would be something they made together, which had caused the man and his crew to cough and spit for a while, Benn going so far to pat the captain on the back and tell the redhead that he shouldn’t “pick them so young.”

Kourei giggled at the memory of Shank’s face turning the same shade of his hair as Makino glowered at the man from across the bar. Really those two were so dense. Maybe she could convince Lucky Roo and Yassop to help her hook the two up.

Her thoughts of wedding plans and cute dates between the two were interrupted by the bells of the shop and the greeting of the balding man at the counter.

“Welcome to Silver Me Timbers, how can I help you?”

Kourei tuned out Shanks and the man, they were just talking business and haggling prices anyway. As she looked around the shop, occasionally twirling her dress as she went, a box of trinkets caught her eyes. There sitting among other baubles and trinkets was a lovely shell, no bigger than her palm with a clean and clearly defined spiral and having an amazing red color.

“Shanks-Idiot, I want this too.”

“Brat stop with the nickname already!” The redhead turned to glare at her before taking the shell out of her hand without looking and turning back to the man “And add this to the total.”

The men continued to talk and haggle prices, Kourei had to fight the urge to pick her nose as she tried to listen to them. Instead, she rubbed the scar on her lip and tuned them out as she debated what plants she was going to experiment with later. Kourei remembered seeing a small patch of Monkshood by one of the mountain paths a few days ago, if it was still there she could try to make a tincture. Makino had been complaining about rats in the cellar lately, as good an excuse as any to play with poison. Kourei was shaken from her musings by Shanks lifting her up and swinging her over his shoulders.

“What’re you think about brat?”

“Rat murder.”

“You really are a terrible liar.”

“No, Shanks-idiot is the bad liar.”

“Brat.”

They continued to banter for a while, Kourei quieting down once they arrived at Party’s Bar. She may have been more comfortable with the Red-Hair Pirates but really, talking in front of such large groups took so much energy, she always had to be careful with her words. It is always hard to gauge what is too childish and what behavior is too mature.

Her head snapped up when she heard a commotion coming from the bar, one of the doors had been knocked off the hinges and she could hear Makino attempting to placate someone. Wriggling down from her perch Kourei walked into the bar and was shocked at the mess. There was a man standing at the bar, towering over Makino in a way that could only be threatening. Mountain Bandits.

Of course, Shanks saw this too and interfered in the only way he seemed to know how, by attempting to be a comedian.

“Hey sorry, my crew drank all the sake, tell ya what though how about you have this bottle,” Shanks grabbed a wine bottle from a table. Unopened. Kourei could read the label, that was one of the more expensive bottles, an import from the West Blue.

“Ha! As if that bottle could be enough, that isn’t even a nightcap to a man like me. I have a bounty of eight million Beli you know, so show some respect, you sea-dog.” Laughing the bandit pulled out his sword and used it to flip one of the tables towards Shanks.

It was as if time stopped, Kourei saw the table flip, food and drinks spilling in the air and flying towards the red-haired man, and he did nothing, letting the food hit him as the table clattered against the floor. Kourei would have been simply upset at the bandit’s actions, making his life miserable from afar for a few months for the damage he was causing. But then she looked down and saw the splatter of food and drink against the hem of her new dress. Her birthday dress and what had arbitrarily become her favorite sandals.

That bandit was a dead-man walking.

 

* * *

 

 

Picking deadly plants was nothing new to Kourei, she quite enjoyed studying the biology of the flora and fauna of this strange world and that often involved dealing with said deadly ecology. This wasn’t even her first time making a tincture out of said plants, nor would this be her first time using them on a human, but this would most likely be her first murder in this body. At least the first human she will have killed since being born into this strange oceanic world.

“Ah~ by poor back.” The little black-haired girl sighed as she stood up and stretched. Looking down she couldn’t help the sigh at her now muddy knees. Kourei was very glad she had changed into a pair of pants for this adventure. The basket at her side full to the brim with oleander leaves and flowers, more than enough to do the job. Carefully pulling off the cotton gloves, she dropped them into a small paper bag and began walking to her ‘lab’.

The small shed Garp had built her in the secluded area on an ocean cliff was functional enough, with a window facing the sea and a hatch on the roof for air circulation. Not that Garp or Makino knew what she did in the shed, they probably thought she was playing with dolls or roughhousing with friends in there.

Pushing aside a few of her less delicate experiments Kourei put the basket of plant matter down. Pulling over the large sake barrel and her stone mortar and pestle she began to prepare the all her tools. Pulling on another pair of cotton gloves she places a few leaves on the plate-shaped stone and began to press and mash the plants. After scraping the plant mash into the barrel, she repeated the process until the basket was empty. Kourei then proceeded to take the mortar and pestle down to the shoreline, leaving them there for the ocean to scrub the toxins off for her. Walking back towards the shed she pulled off the cotton gloves and put them in the same paper bag as the other pair.

Opening the barrel, Kourei’s eyes began to water from the strong alcoholic smell. Grabbing a long stick, she stirred the mixture before putting the top back on the barrel. She would have to leave it steeping for a while, but she was patient and revenge is a dish best served cold.

 

* * *

 

 

“Garp that thing can’t stay here!” The mayor of Foosha was practically foaming at the mouth with fury, his cane pounding at the wooden floor.

“Woop Slap please, keep your voice down,” Makino whispered to the angry man, wringing her hands as she looked between Garp and the mayor.

“Makino, I don’t care if that little demon hears me, we all know what it did!”

“WOOP SLAP!”

It was silent for a minute, awkward and tense, before Garp asked the mayor, “What do you think Luffy did?”

“There is no ‘think’ about it, I saw what happened with my own two eyes,” the man was getting loud again, unable to control his volume as he continued, “I saw that thing dragging a person out to the shore, I saw a boat get pushed out, and I saw the Lord of the Coast destroy the boat!”

“That doesn’t mean anything.” Makino tried to interject, but Woop Slap pulled out a golden necklace and threw it down on the table they had been sitting around. It was Higuma’s.

“I found this in the shed you built for that thing Garp, hidden away with a sword I am sure Makino would recognize as well.” A flash of fear raced across the man's face, his eyes darting to the loft the child was sleeping in.

Garp couldn’t believe it, the man feared Luffy, his sweet grandson who loved to drink juice and snuggle Garp during their naps. He did remember building a small shed for Luffy when he asked for a place to store his treasure. The only time his grandson had ever hit him was when he went into the shed without permission but that was no reason to fear a child.

Makino was shaking, her shoulders visibly trembling with the sobs she was trying to contain. Garp looked at her in concern but he knew what had to be asked.

“Makino what do you know about this.”

The woman froze before a sob finally ripped out of her throat. Tears bubbled in her eyes as she haltingly told the two men what she knew.

“A barrel of -hic- sake was missing last month and, and Kou-Luffy refused to let me anywhere near the shed and -sob- I think, I think she did something to the sake and gave it to the bandit.”

“I told you, Garp, that thing can’t stay here, no normal child would do that. Normal children don’t plan to kill someone. This was premeditated murder Garp, you and I both know this isn’t normal!”

Garp stared at the man, and then looked at the crying woman, before heaving a sigh.

“I know somewhere I can take him, but Makino, are you as scared of Luffy as Woop Slap is?”

“NO, I love her but- but she is, sometimes she looks at other people and, and I am scared of what she is thinking of... but I will never be scared of her, she would never hurt me! And she would never hurt Woop Slap or any of the villagers.”

“I’ve told you,” Woop Slap banged on the floor with his cane, “that thing is like a snake Makino, and sooner or later it will bite you. No amount of love can tame a cobra!”

“Woop Slap,” Garp sounded so very tired, “that is enough, I will take Luffy tomorrow but for now please stop calling my grandson a monster.”

“See that you do Garp, I don’t know if I can pacify the villagers for much longer.” With a final nod to Makino, the mayor left the bar, leaving Garp alone with the crying woman.

“I should go and, and clean up.” Makino gave Garp a watery smile before leaving the bar as well.

After a few minutes, once the old Marine was sure Makino was gone, he looked up to the loft.

“Eavesdropping is rude.”

“So is calling someone a monster.”

He couldn’t argue with that. Sighing he stood up and went over to the bed his grandchild was laying on, picking her up he began to rub her back.

“I know you’re not a monster, and even if you were, I would still love you.”

“… I love you too grandpa.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoop, things are starting to move along now. Not really, but hey more Shanks being the cool dad figure and bratty Kourei. 
> 
> Yes, Woop Slap seems OOC but here is my reasoning. Woop Slap is the mayor of Foosha and is a government official first and foremost. His job is to protect and govern the village and Kourei having killed someone, even if it was a bandit, makes her a threat to the people in the village. Her also being a Trans child who is far more intelligent than she should be, means that she would be treated differently than how Canon!Luffy is treated by everyone in the village. Luffy is a lovable idiot with a heart of gold, Kourei is an adult woman in the body of a child. She is possessive and highly intelligent and very cold to most people. This is very much a scary concept to the villagers and to Woop Slap especially.
> 
> Edited July, 2018


	5. Poppy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Triggers: Drugging, Non-graphic injury, Animal Death, Spit(?), misgendering,

“Grandpa… why are we going up the mountain?”

“Because your new home is up there.”

“You said that already, and stop picking your nose,” the little girl slapped the man’s hand away from his face, “but why the mountains and not a new island?”

“GWAHAHA why would you move to a new island!?”

He was picking his nose again. Kourei just ignored the question, she knew she was not going to get a straight answer from the man. She was just happy he was letting her sit on his shoulder for the walk up the mountain, all she had to do was hold the large burlap bag with her clothes. Swinging her feet Kourei’s heels tapped the crate under Garp’s arm. It contained all the important supplies from her lab and the trinkets she had collected over the years. She was surprised he was so willing to carry her stuff all the way up, maybe he felt guilty about having to move her out of Foosha and into the mountains.

After some time Kourei could see a building come into view. A large wooden house with a watchtower, it clearly had seen better days but looked as well cared for as a mountain-dwelling could. The grass in the surrounding area looked healthy enough, and there were plenty of tall trees surrounding it.

Hopping off Garp’s shoulder Kourei landed with a small stumble before righting herself and walking to the door. As she reached up to knock, Garp beat her to it, pounding on the door and bellowing at whoever lived inside. Really this man, he wouldn’t know subtle if it ran him over with a Man of War.

Shrugging she put her bag down by the entrance and looked around the clearing. Over by the tree line, she saw a bush of magenta flowers growing.

Jogging over to the flowering plant she could identify that it was a poppy mallow bush, with some healthy milkweed growing through it. Lifting the leaves of the bush she could see the caterpillars squirming about. As she leaned in to get a closer look at them she felt something wet hit the side of her face.

The black-haired girl lifted her hand to her face, feeling the slimy spot. A spitball, no, a loogie. Gross. Looking around she spotted a kid sitting on one of the large boulders just past the tree line, he had a mean look to his eyes with black hair and freckles dotting his face like constellations.

“That was rude.” The boy was acting more like a stone wall than a child. “You should apologize.”

He continued to stare down at her, not speaking or blinking. Well if it was a battle of wills he wanted then who was she to deny him. The staring contest that ensued would have surely been one for the history books until Garp so rudely interrupted by picking Kourei up by the back of her shirt and laughing.

“GWAHAHA that is Ace, Luffy he is three years older than you which mean you need to show him some respect, you’ll be living with him from now on!”

“WHAT YOU CAN’T DECIDE THAT ON YOUR OWN!” the orange-haired bandits exclaimed.

“What was that?” Garp asked with an evil look in his eyes.

“Nothing, welcome, welcome!”

“Gwahahaha that is more like it,” the Marine lifted Kourei up to his face, “you are gonna stay here, I’ll visit when I get time, you’ll behave yourself, or else”

She just smiled at the implied threat and lifted her arms for a hug. The giant of a man tried to be strong but the combination of puppy eyes and the little pout, he was too weak. Giving in, the man hugged his youngest grandchild to his chest. The two stood there for a minute before Garp noticed the brat was rubbing her spit covered cheek against his jacket.

“OI, you brat! FIST OF LOVE!”

 

* * *

 

 

It was a war at the table, a fight for dominance to get the most food. The bandits played dirty, attempts to distract each other and even outright kicking, complete and utter chaos.

Kourei looked down at her empty plate, her rice having been finished within seconds, and then at the bandits around her. She had already asked Dadan for more, but the woman had quickly informed her that food was earned and not a given. This was so different from the how Makino was. Sweet Makino who let her eat plate after plate of food and then give her dessert. Kourei had gotten spoiled by the amazing woman without even realizing it, not use to ever having to fight off people from stealing her food right off the plate. She glanced at Ace who seemed to horde the most food while still eating the fastest, she was going to starve at this rate.

Standing she walked over to the crate that had been brought inside, sitting by the entrance but otherwise remaining untouched. She cracked open the lid and began to dig through is until pulling out a small knife. Even for its small size the serrated blade and wickedly curved tip belayed its danger.

She pulled on a pair of shoes and turned to the bandits, looking Dadan in the eyes as she spoke. “I am going out, do not touch my stuff while I am gone, or else.”

Kourei let the threat linger between them before setting out. She did not go very far, stopping just past the treeline and crouching down. The foliage was clearly disturbed but she couldn’t tell if it was an animal or human that caused it, not that it mattered as either would lead her to food. Animals obviously could be cooked, but humans could be manipulated and if it really came down to it she could always just find some edible plants.

It did not come down to that as she was lucky enough to find some boar tracks after only an hour of ‘hunting’. Following the tracks Kourei picked berries from some of the wild bushes, munching on what tasted like some blackberries she hummed around her mouthful and finished sharpening her wooden spear. Sniffing at the air she could smell the boar was nearby, the musky odor was quite distinctive. Breaking through the undergrowth the girl spotted a young boar rubbing against a tree.  Unfortunately, as she attempted to sneak around it for a clear shot she stepped on a branch.

The crack of the branch was deafening to Kourei’s ears and the gaze of the boar snapping up to look at her was terrifying, the animal’s lips curling back to reveal deadly tusks.

“Shit.”

The boar was charging and she knew that if those tusks hit her it would not end well. Pointing her spear at the animal she braced herself for the impact.

Luck was on her side as the spear entered the boar's eye and pierced through the brain and skull, the animal's momentum caused the wood to crack and splinter. Leaping over the boar at the last moment Kourei felt the tusk cut her leg and the momentum flipping her in the air. Landing on her back the air was forced from her lungs, jarring and disorienting her for a few minutes as the boar lay in a growing puddle of blood.

Pushing herself off the ground Kourei looked at her bleeding leg, the 4-inch gash was not too deep, but it cut along the inner part of her right knee and calf. Attempting to stand she hissed out a breath at the stinging as her leg and back objected to the abuse she had put her body through.

“How the fuck am I taking you back?” Looking into the remaining glassy eye of the animal Kourei cursed her poor sense of planning. Peeking up at the sky she couldn’t tell how far she was from the bandit house. Shrugging she began to pile up some fallen branches. She knew theoretically how to make a fire without matches and the survival training would not hurt. Especially if living with the bandits didn’t pan out.

The difference between theory and practice became quickly apparent as Kourei spent thirty minutes attempting to make a fire. She had snapped several sticks in her attempts at using the wood drill technique. Once she finally had a small fire going she turned towards the boar.

“This is going to suck.” The girl sighed as she flipped out her knife and braced for a long night ahead butchering the animal.

 

* * *

 

“Where were you brat?” Dadan was surprised to see the newest brat Garp had dropped off enter the house with shredded and bloodstained clothes. He had left more than a week ago on that first night and she thought maybe he had been eaten by the animals.

“A tiger tried to eat me.” Well, that wasn’t very informative, and just made Dadan even more curious.

“Really brat, a tiger, and you’re still alive?”

“Yup, bath?”

She was clearly not going to get a straight answer from the little punk. “Over behind the house.”

The kid nodded at her before pulling clothes out of the burlap sack next to the crate. Dadan knew some of her men had been tempted to dig through the kid's things to see if there was anything valuable, but she had stopped the men before they could even touch the bag. She remembered what Garp had told her before he left the brat, about how Luffy was very possessive of his things. The threat the kid had made at dinner had been loud and clear to her, and any child of Garp was sure to know how to make a person regret living.

For whatever reason Garp had left the brat here with her and she had a feeling, woman’s intuition, that it was not good.

So lost in her thoughts of the bastard Garp and his brat Dadan didn’t realize Luffy had finished bathing until he was standing in front of her. Spitting out her mouthful of sake Dadan stared at the child, dressed in what was clearly a nightgown. The outfit was cute, even Dadan had to admit the person who picked it out had good tastes. The nightdress a clean white cotton with yellow ribbons lace decorating the trim.

“Where am I sleeping?”

Oh god, the brat even had a stuffed bear in one hand and a pillow in the other, this was too strange.

“Over in that loft, if you can find a free blanket you can use it.”

The kid, he, she, it? Whatever the kid was, they just nodded at her before grabbing a blanket from the bag and climbing into the loft.

Looking down at her cup and the almost empty bottle Dadan sighed before pushing the alcohol away, clearly, she had drunk too much tonight.

 

* * *

 

 

Ace awoke to the feeling of being suffocated. He wiggled in an attempt to escape from under whatever had him pinned. It took a few minutes of struggling before he finally lost his temper and threw whatever was on top of him over the edge of the loft.

There was a loud thud as, what Ace realized was Garp’s grandkid, hit the floor followed by a stream of expletives that would have made even a pirate blush. Looking over the edge Ace saw the kid tangled in a blanket, wiggling on the floor and glaring murder at anyone who looked at him.

Ace scoffed at the kid, Luffy if he remembered, before hopping down and grabbing his pipe. It was time to go hunting for breakfast.

It only took Ace twenty minutes to find a bear and bring it back to Dadan’s, as he opened the door he was expecting to see Dogra cooking the rice for breakfast. Instead Ace saw the Luffy kid sitting calmly next to a frazzled looking Dadan, wearing a yellow dress of all things.

“Hey, weirdo why are you in a dress!?” He couldn’t help the question; no boy should willingly wear a dress.

Dadan looked up at him, there was a fear in her eyes as she started to shake her head at him. The old man’s grandson just looked at him blankly before turning back to the ginger bandit.

“I had hoped this conversation would have been more private.” the dress-clad child looked at Dadan expectantly.

“Ace take the animal around back, Dogra will clean it for you, just don’t come in here until I call you.”

“What you old hag, just cook the damn thing!”

“BRAT this is not up to you, GO NOW!”

Ace used to the bandit yelling at him, he was even used to seeing her cower before Garp but the fear in her eyes was new. Glaring at the kid who had to be the cause of it he hefted the bear over his back before leaving, slamming the door behind himself.

Kourei watched the door that the angry boy had just slammed, waiting to make sure there were no more interruptions.

“Really that boy, so rude.” Turning back to the now panting woman the girl hummed to herself. “It seems the Poppy Tea is starting to kick in, don’t worry it won’t hurt you,” the black-haired child turned to poke at the cooking fire, “if anything you should enjoy the mild high, I have already built a tolerance so please tell me if there are any side effects.”

This little demon, Dadan thought, that bastard Garp hadn’t left a child but a monster. God damn that man to hell and back for leaving her with this thing.

“I do not wish to make an enemy of you Dadan, this is simply to show you who is in charge here.”

“You little demon, I should kill you here and now!”

“Yes you probably wish that, but imagine what grandfather would do if you killed his cute little ‘grandson’.

Dadan felt her gut clench in fear at the thought of Garp’s wrath, or maybe it was from whatever poison the demon gave her. Her head was starting to feel light, a floating sensation filling her limbs.

“... and really how does he not realize I am a girl yet- oh it seems the poppy has taken full effect.”

The ginger-haired bandit watched with half-lidded eyes as the -thing- stood, everything was becoming fuzzy and floaty. She felt a hand on her arm or was that just five tiny arms. The tiny arms were taking her somewhere, oh that was her bed, sleep was a good idea.

As Dadan laid down on her bed the black-haired girl pulled a light blanket over the woman and after she was sure the bandit was not getting up for a while, she put a glass of water and a portion of rice next to the bed.

Walking out of the house Kourei walked around back to see the large group of men butchering the bear along with other smaller animals. Clearing her throat, she waved to catch the shortest man’s attention.

“What is it brat?” ask Dogra. The man stood and brushed off his pink overalls as he approached the kid.

“Dadan is feeling ill, I am going out to collect some herbs to help with nausea, she is sleeping right now if you could keep an eye on her, please.”

“Yeah whatever brat, you can go get lost for a week again for all we care.”

“Thank you, Dogra, I will be back shortly.” And with that the girl turned and walked into the forest, grabbing a small wicker basket from by the front door as she passed.

“I didn’t tell her my name,” Dogra said as he turned to look at Magra in concern. Maybe the brat really was a demon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short and purely filler chapter. You all learn nothing new except that Kourei has a teddy bear. Yes, it was made by Makino and yes Kourei will cut a bitch if they take it. Additionally, Poppy Tea is a real thing and yes Kourei was very heavy handed with drugging Dadan.
> 
> Updated July 2018


	6. Pomelo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Triggers: Misgendering. Adults threatening children with violence. Mention of slavery. Actual torture. Death.

Kourei could not believe she had been with the bandits for three months already, and neither Makino nor grandfather had come to see her! It was so frustrating being stuck in the middle of the forest with no human contact besides bandits and a moody brat. She had tried making friends with him, politely asking to play and giving him small gifts, but every single time the brat rebuffed her.

Fidgeting with her necklace from Shanks the girl walked through the thick forest in search of the said moody brat. She felt guilty for snapping at him earlier and was hoping to apologize, maybe even convince him to reciprocate. Kourei new he didn’t fully understand how cruel his actions seemed, he was only a child after all and did not have a complete grasp of right and wrong. Being raised by bandits most certainly did not help with the development of the boy’s behavior and social skills.

The girl was willing to put up with the cold shoulder and being ignored, it was no different than from how the children of Foosha treated her. Even being called a ‘weirdo’ for wearing her dresses wasn’t that bad, she knew there were much worse things she was going to be called later in this life for being who she was. No, what finally made her snap at the poor kid was when he broke Shank’s treasure.

The simple silver chain had snapped when Ace had ripped the necklace off her, the silver-coated shells clattering on the floor and the large center shell, bright red and polished from all its handling, had fallen onto Kourei’s hands. He hadn’t been trying to break her treasure, it had been an accident, she knew this logically. Ace had been pushing her away when she had crowded too close to him at breakfast and his fingers had simply caught on the chain when she fell. Kourei knew this but at the sight of her greatest treasure broken, the present she and Shanks had made together, she had snapped at the boy.

With the combination of both her innate strength and the muscles, she had developed from the previous three months of hunting and foraging she had literally flipped the table in her anger. Food flying everywhere the angry girl had stood over the boy glaring at him with murder in her eyes. She had grabbed him by the collar of his tank top and threw him so hard the door had shattered as he went flying through it. Ace had tried scrambling to stand but Kourei had been fast, standing over him and planting her foot on the young boy's chest. She had leaned over him and looked him in the eyes as she made sure he understood why he was about to die.

“This,” she had said hold the red shell for him to see, “is worth more than your life, are you willing to repay me for it?”

The boy glared at her, but there was fear in his eyes. He knew the bandits feared the girl but she had always been so quiet that Ace thought it was the threat of Garp. Now he saw why the bandits skirted around the girl and always talked to her in polite tones. He didn’t want to die, he was going to become the greatest pirate ever, he couldn’t die yet!

With that thought, Ace had thrown the girl off and ran into the woods. He knew where to find Sabo and they could go rob some suckers, everything would be normal and he could clear his head. He wasn’t running away, just going to do what he planned on doing today earlier than expected.

It had taken Kourei hours to calm down from the incident and by the time she was no longer seeing red it was already mid-day and Dogra was serving up lunch. The short man had taken one look at her shaking frame before sighing to himself.

“Give it here girly.” The short man held out a hand expectantly.

“Wh-what?”

“The shell, I have some cord stashed away, it won’t be the same as that fancy silver but it will be much sturdier.”

“Oh, um, no, I mean yeah, I mean thank you.” She stuttered out, confused by this out of character kindness.

It had only taken Dogra thirty minutes to braid some leather cord, beading the silver shells on and centering the red shell so that it sat on the hollow of Kourei’s throat. After he finished the man handed the necklace to the girl and gave her a look, one of both exasperation and disappointment, a strange mix to be sure.

“Now go find that stubborn boy and apologize to him.”

That was how Kourei ended up here, walking farther than she ever dared to go, almost to the edge of the Grey Quarters.

Listening, she could faintly hear Ace. She could also hear another boy. Jogging in the direction of the voices she spotted Ace and another young boy was sitting in a tall tree. They were talking about, pirates? buying ships?

Curious Kourei called out to them “Hey Ace who is your friend?”

Both boys startled at her yelling and scurried down the tree like a pair of squirrels.

“What are you doing here WEIRDO?!” Ace’s face was red with anger as he yelled at the girl.

“Wait is this that weird boy you said was living at Dadan’s now?” Asked the blue-clad child.

“Yeah,” Ace turned back to the girl, “Why are you out here weirdo, did you follow me or something?”

“Dogra sent me out to-” she started before the blonde boy interrupted her.

“Hey if he followed you out here that means he knows where our treasure is!”

Ace and Sabo shared a look of understanding before they stalked over to the girl. In the blink of an eye, they tied the dress-clad child to the trunk of the large tree. Kourei had been so surprised by them she didn’t react until after she was already tied up.

“HEY, what’s the big deal!?” She yelled out, kicking her feet at the boys.

“He knows where the treasure is, you know what that means.” Sabo looked at Ace.

“We have to kill him.” Ace replied.

“NO, NO KILLING ME!” She started to thrash around as she yelled at the boys, “KILLING ME IS BAD, I CAN’T DIE! I AM TOO PRETTY!”

“Damn it shut him up, Ace hurry up and kill him!”

“What!? I’ve never killed anyone before, you do it!”

“He’s your problem dumb ass!”

As the boys continued to argue Kourei continued to cry and thrash about. If she could just get her knife from her boot then she could cut the ropes. All three children froze when they heard a loud snap come from past the trees.

“Run!” the two boys said in unison as they did just that, leaving Kourei tied to the tree.

“FUCKERS!”

She continued to thrash about as a large man came through the trees, with three smaller men following behind him. The man was ugly, with no visible neck and horribly unkempt hair. The other men with him were no better looking. Kourei looked at all four before spotted the weakest link, the blonde man with wildly spiked hair. He had his arm wrapped in bandages and bruising along his face.

Forcing her eyes to start watering wasn’t difficult, and looking at the blonde man she pouted as she spoke in a trembling voice. “Big Brother help untie me please, some mean kids left me out here for bear bait,” she knew this part was key as she felt a tear drop down her face, “I am so scared Big Brother, please help me.”

Hook, line, and sinker; the blonde man was starting to step forward, but the largest man stopped him.

“IDIOT, you already got beat up by a brat once, this could be a trap!”

“But Porchemy, it’s just a little girl.”

“And she could be working with that devil, Ace!”

Oh fuck, if Ace had pissed off these men then she could not rely on him for help. Starting to squirm around again Kourei tried to get her knife. This drew the men’s attention and she did not like the look in the largest man's face.

“Hey, brat if you tell us where Ace is and we’ll untie you.”

Shit, she could feel her face struggling to remain neutral. The sweat was starting to bead on her brows and she felt her eyes starting to shift around. Fuck no she needed to be able to lie to these men, not now face. Forcing herself to look the large man dead in the eyes she started to lie as she sweated bullets.

“Don’t know any Ace, didja lose a card game mister is that why you’re looking for an ace?”

“You fucking brat! Ace stole from us and no one steals from the Bluejam Pirates.” The man, Porchemy, literally ripped her from the ropes. She could feel her ribs bruising from the harsh treatment already. “Now tell us where he hid the treasure and we won’t fucking kill you!”

Kourei was panicking, why were these men not letting her go? Fuck what if Shanks was right, what if she really was a terrible liar. The girls ‘fight or flight’ instincts were kicking in; she couldn’t flee so she had to fight. Pulling the knife from her boot Kourei stabbed the man holding her, skin and muscle parting under the sharp blade.

Enraged the man threw her to the ground as he ripped out the knife. He looked at the blade in his hand, a straight 3-inch steel knife, and then laughed cruelly as he threw it into the tree line. “What was that supposed to do you brat, now you just made me mad!”

Motioning for one of the shorter men to grab the child the giant pirate began walking back to the hideout. “When we get back I am going to have fun making you scream you fucking brat, and once you squealed on your fucking friends I am going to kill you.”

“FFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCKERS!”

 

* * *

 

 

Sabo was feeling bad; the pirates hadn’t returned to the tree in hours and the stupid kid hadn’t escaped yet. What if they had killed the kid, or worse. Sabo remembered his bastard parents talking about ‘special children’ being sold into slavery. Boys who wore dresses had to be special, right?

His blood ran cold at the thought of a kid being forced into slavery, just because he and Ace wanted to keep their treasure safe. Running to where Ace went to hide their treasure Sabo yelled out to the boy. “ACE, ACE, we have to go save him!”

“Whatchu’ you mean, if he was stupid enough to get caught he deserves what happens!”

“But the Bluejam pirates didn’t come back to the hiding spot, he didn’t squeal on us.”

“WHO CARES?!” Ace jumped down to glare at Sabo, “He threatened to KILL ME, WHO CARES IF HE DIES!”

“Ace…” Sabo turned and began to run to where he knew the pirates were hiding. “If you aren't going to help me save him then fine, but I am going to save him!”

“WHATEVER! I DON’T CARE!”

Ace watched as Sabo ran, his mind swirling with anger and frustration. Why would Sabo want to save that weird kid; who was always smiling like he was so much better than Ace and putting stupid things on Ace’s side of their room like shiny rocks and stupid smelly flowers! Luffy was such a stupid brat, wearing his ugly dresses and asking Dadan to brush his stupid hair and giving Ace his extra food and…

“FUCKING STUPID LUFFY!” Ace screamed as he began to run after Sabo. Maybe if they were fast enough they wouldn’t be too late.

 

* * *

 

 

She was being tortured, the plain facts were that she was being beaten by an adult for no other reason than that he could do such. A loud smack echoed through the hut as the white-haired pirate hit her small body again with the wooden club. She could feel the cracked and broken ribs screaming at the abuse, her head fuzzy from what she was sure was a concussion. Blood was dripping into her eyes and her whole body felt like a giant bruise. Blood and spit dribbled out of her swollen mouth as she felt holes where her teeth should be. Kourei would have screamed and cried if she had the energy but after the first hour her throat had given out and her eyes dried. The man- no the monster- beating her had stopped asking about the young boys’ treasure stash early on. He was simply torturing the child because he could because she was a convenient victim who couldn’t fight back.

Kourei knew she was not likely to survive this, already her vision was spotty out of the one eye that wasn’t swollen shut. She knew this, but she was certainly not the only one going to die that day. Porchemy’s hits were starting to slow, his movement becoming sluggish and less forceful. The giant was panting as well, his breath becoming labored and heavy. The poison Kourei had coated her knife with was finally taking effect on the horrible man. His lungs would start shutting down, no longer able to draw in the air needed to continue muscle functions. After which his heart would begin to stutter and skip, the muscle contractions losing their pattern disrupting the flow of blood. By the time this horrible man would realize these symptoms were not simply from his activity, it would be too late, he would become paralyzed shortly before his heart and brain completely shut down.

Through the pain, Kourei felt the laugh bubble up her throat as she saw the foam beginning to collect on the corner of the man’s mouth. She began to count down in her head, _just a minute left you bastard_.

“Porchemy stop this, the brat ain’t talkin’.” The injured blonde man seemed to find his morals, or perhaps like any human with a soul simply found the unnecessary torture of a child to be repugnant.

“Shut up, you failed to find Ace or the treasure, that means Bluejam is going to kill us!” The giant of a man yelled at the three men behind him.

She couldn’t help it, she laughed. It was painful and jarred her injured rib and body but she still laughed.

“Idi’t -cough- Blu’jab ain’t killin’ ya, I am.”

“What did you say you brat,” the man turned to look at the bloody mess that was once a child, “you want to die that bad?” Grabbing his sword, he swung it upwards ready to eviscerate the child.

“One”

Porchemy felt his heart stutter and stop, his lungs and muscles paralyzed as foam collected in his mouth and his lungs filled with liquid. As he began to fall forward the tip of his sword caught Kourei on her jaw, the blade digging in and piercing through her cheek where her jaw had been slack. A scream ripped from the girl as the blade cut through her cheek and left through the corner of her mouth. The pirate was dead before he even hit the ground.

As the three other men stared in horror at the now dead man, Ace and Sabo broke through the wall of the hut. Pipes blazing the boys quickly bashed in the three men's’ heads, knocking them unconscious and uncaring of the damage the pipes may have caused.

Looking up Sabo felt a scream bubble in his throat at the sight of Luffy dangling from the ceiling. The child’s dress was in shreds, cuts and bruising decorating the small body and face. Sickening bulges along the torso where broken ribs were clearly visible. The pirates had cut what was once shoulder length hair into a horrible choppy mess, cuts decorating the child's scalp where the knife had cut too far. The worse looking wound by far though was the profusely bleeding laceration on the child's cheek; flesh clearly split from the corner of her mouth and the damage streaking across the girl's cheek. It was horrifying and Sabo felt vomit surge up his throat.

“A-ace?” The sobbing girl was looking at the boy, her swollen face conveying shock and surprise through her one good eye.

“Shit, LUFFY!”

  

* * *

 

 

Dogra sighed as he wiped his hands on the only clean cloth left in the house. When Ace and the other boy, Sabo, came running into the hut during dinner screaming about Luffy being dead it had shocked the bandits. Dadan had jumped up so fast the recently fixed table had threatened to flip on them again. The woman had demanded to know what they had done to Luffy and the boys had sobbingly told them a jumbled mess of a story, but Dadan had understood enough to tell Dogra to get all the medical supplies ready and she then ran out of the house. When the ginger bandit had returned she was carrying a bloody mess that had to have been Luffy and demanding Dogra find a way to fix the child.

It had been horrifying to attempt to save the wheezing child, but he had done his best. Setting and bandaging her battered ribs had been simple compared to the task of stitching the gash on her face. The broken legs and dislocated shoulder had been one of the last things set and wrapped but the part that had made Dadan cry had been when Dogra had to shave the child's head to clean and stitch the cuts that littered her scalp. He had Magra look through the child’s supplies, he had seen the plants and herbs she kept dried and preserved and knew enough to make a paste to prevent infection and fever. He did not trust himself enough to make a pain reliever through and instead Dadan had sent Ace to the get medicine from Goa. She had been so upset by the injured child she had even given the boy far more Beli than was needed for pain medicine.

Dadan was sitting at the head of her bed now, watching the sleeping child. The bandit woman was petting at the child’s bandaged head, an unlit cigarette hanging limply from her mouth. Dogra recognized the child’s stuffed bear sitting in Dadan’s lap. The blonde-haired boy from earlier was sitting in the loft, if he was simply waiting for Ace to return or was staying due to guilt, it didn’t matter to Dogra.

As the short man began to sweep the area he had performed the first aid in, Ace burst through the door with his arms laden with bags.

“I got the medicine and more bandages and I still had money left over so I got a bunch of foods that the old lady in the shop said helps with injuries!”

“QUIET BOY!” Dadan yelled as she shook her fist at Ace.

“Give it here, I’ll put these away, you go rest up with that Sabo boy. You two look tired.” Dogra took the bags out of the boy’s arms as he shooed him towards the loft.

Ace seemed to physically deflate as he approached the loft, his eyes never leaving the form of the sleeping child in Dadan’s bed. This is all my fault he thought as he watched Luffy struggle to breathe, I should have been faster. Climbing up the ladder he spotted Sabo sitting in a corner, a blanket pulled over his shoulders. The two boys looked at each other, an understanding passed between them.

Luffy had risked his life to protect them, and men always pay back a life-debt.

 

 

* * *

 

Dadan was scared. Maybe scared wasn’t the right word but she didn’t want to admit that she cared for the little demon. It had been almost three days since she had brought home Garp’s grandson, the child beaten within an inch of his life. Dadan didn’t want to admit that she cared for the brat but when she had carried the small fragile body in her arms she had felt true terror at the thought of the child dying.

Dogra had told her that if the child didn’t wake by tomorrow they would have to get a doctor. The constant care they had to take for the child was draining the bandits emotionally. Even Ace and the other brat he had brought to the hideout were concerned. She could tell with the way they hovered like mother hens and constantly offered to help feed Luffy. It was tedious having to feed the injured child, that gash on his cheek meant they had to mash the rice and mince the meat before feeding him so as to prevent further strain on the mouth. He also just kept eating, Dadan knew the brat had been holding back when eating with them but this was insane; every time food was put in front of his mouth it would disappear. The bandit woman was sure Ace and Sabo had even been bitten a few times, she knew she had.

Dipping the washcloth into the basin of water the woman started to wipe down the bandaged child. Some of the cuts were already healing very nicely, at least that is what Dogra said, but they still needed to clean the wounds and change the bandages regularly.

So focused on her task Dadan didn’t notice Luffy looking at her until the child spoke in a cracked voice, asking, “Da-dadan am I alive?”

The woman felt tears well up in her eyes as she looked down at the small child and nodded her head. “Yeah you brat, you’re alive.”

“Oh, that’s good.” The child replied before falling back asleep.

  

* * *

 

 

“Why didn’t you rat on us?” Sabo asked as he helped feed Luffy. The injured girl had only woken up recently and while much of the bruising had cleared up Dogra had told them to keep the brat as immobile as possible as there were still many broken bones.

“Why would I have done that,” Kourei asked back, her words mumbled as she avoided opening her mouth too far, “those men would have taken all your treasure.”

“Yeah but they almost killed you!” replied Sabo, forcefully mashing the rice and eggs together.

“My life is not worth your freedoms.” She answered before taking the bowl out of Sabo’s hand. Clearly, that was the end of the conversation.

“SO NOBLE!” Sabo began to tear-up before Ace smacked him over the head and dropped a teapot next to the eating girl.

“Here’s that stupid tea you asked for.” He grumbled out before plopping down next to the two other children.

“Thanks, Ace.” The girl nodded before sipping said tea, her face scrunching up in distaste afterward.

“HEY, what’s with that face!?” The freckled boy asked offense clear in his voice.

“Nothing, it is just a little over steeped, very good for your first attempt though.”

“DON’T MOCK ME!” Ace stood up his fist shaking at the girl.

She looked at him blankly before motioning for him to sit down as she pushed the cup to him.

“Take a sip, it is not bad, really.”

“I don’t want any of your stinky grass water!”

Sabo reached down, swiping the cup and taking a sip before either could stop him. The blonde quickly spat out the tea and turned to glare at Ace.

“This is terrible, you overcooked tea!”

“No, I didn’t!”

“YES, YOU DID!”

Kourei felt a genuine laugh bubble up as she watched the boy bicker. Covering her mouth to stifle the laugh she turned away from the two and pulled the heavy blanket over herself. Listening to the boys fight in such a youthful manner made all the pain she had gone through worth it. Kourei could not imagine how the torture she had experienced would have affected either of the boys but even the threat of destroying their young innocence was enough to prevent any regret from entering her mind.

  

* * *

 

 

Ace awoke to the sound of screaming. As he sat up to find the source of the noise he noticed Sabo was awake as well. The blonde child was looking over the side of the loft, his face ashen even in the dark of the house. Looking over as well Ace spotted the source of the noise. Luffy was screaming and thrashing as Dadan and Dogra attempted to hold the child down, Magra was standing in the corner holding his arm. The large man had a sluggishly bleeding bite mark on his arm but otherwise seemed uninjured.

Ace and Sabo shared a look before scampering down the ladder of the loft. They rushed over to Luffy’s side and Ace demanded the bandits explain. “Why are you holding him down!?”

“Ace, Sabo, go back up to bed.” Dadan attempted to block the boys from seeing the thrashing child. “You two can’t do anything to help with this,” Magra told the boys as he tried to corral them back towards the loft.

“What is wrong with Luffy?” Sabo asked, his voice wavering with nervousness.

“It is normal,” replied Dogra as he continued to attempt to soothe Luffy, “after traumatic events people often suffer nightmares and can lash out at others.”

“But is he OK!?” Ace asked as he watched the black-haired child begin sobbing in Dogra’s lap.

“Truthfully, no, Luffy is not ok, but he can heal from this like any other injury.” Dogra was petting the crying child’s head as Magra held Sabo and Ace back. The short man looked directly into the children’s eyes as he spoke again. “But he will need support and people to help him heal.”

“Don’t doubt us.” Sabo angrily replied, he had promised to pay back the debt between them and Luffy and this wouldn’t scare him into backing out.

“What can we do now?” Ace asked as he clutched Sabo’s hand in his.

“Just be here when Luffy needs you.” Was the reply the boys got from Dadan as she patted their heads. “Now go back up to bed, you can help first thing in the morning by getting food for Luffy.”

The boys gulped at the monumental task assigned to them, before giving Luffy one last look and going back to bed.

 

* * *

 

 

“I hate this,” Kourei whined. She still wasn’t allowed out of bed even though her legs were almost healed. Biology was amazing in this world, she was almost fully healed from death's door in less than a month. The more food she ate the better and faster she healed, which made no sense whatsoever but still worked.

“Oh, suck it up brat,” Dadan replied as she sipped her sake.

“Where are Ace and Sabo, I am so bored~.”

“They’re out, one brat stuck in here is more than enough.”

“DaDAAAAAANNNNNNNNN!”

“SHUT UP YOU BRAT!”

“OI YOU OLD HAG!” Ace yelled as he burst into the house, a tiger slung over his shoulder. “NO YELLING AT LUFFY!”

“FUCKING BRAT!”

Kourei smiled over at Ace as he dropped the tiger down before he flopped down next to her bed. “You have fun?” She asked the freckled boy.

“Yeah, but Sabo was so slow. Said he was looking for something instead of hunting.”

“That is fine,” the girl scooted to make room for Ace, the black-haired boy starfished next to her, “Do you know what he is looking for?”

“No clue.” Ace shrugged as he pulled at a loose thread on the blanket.

The two relaxed on the bed for a while longer before the smell of cooking meat tempted Ace to abandon his spot. When Kourei tried to stand to join him by the fire, Dogra was instantly by her side glaring at the girl.

“... I’ll just… sit here then.”

She sat on the bed, staring at Ace as he mowed his way through the food. Her stomach was grumbling but she had to wait for one of the bandits to brave the jaws of Ace and get her a plate. As Kourei watched the boy eat the last of the meat, Sabo burst through the door. The girl laughed as this caused Ace to begin choking on the food.

“I FOUND IT!” Sabo yelled as he ran over to Kourei.

“What did you find?” The bedridden girl asked.

“This!” Sabo smiled before pulling out a small knife Kourei recognized. The small knife that she was sure was lost after she was taken. It was clean and the leather wrapped handle only looked a little scuffed. The black-haired girl felt tears well up in her eyes before she flung herself at the grinning blonde.

“THANK YOU, SABO!” She laughed as the two tumbled onto the floor, the blade skittering away. The time it must have taken him to find the small knife when he could have been collecting treasure or hunting must have been difficult. Kourei felt more tears drip down her face as she rubbed her nose against Sabo’s jacket.

“EW, Luffy snot, get off!” Sabo yelled as he wiggled and squirmed under the girl.

“HAHA, you got Luffy boogers on you” Ace laughed until Kourei’s hand shot out and she pulled the boy into the dog pile. She rubbed her face against Ace’s shirt and she laid across Sabo. The pile devolved into a laughing, screaming mess of limbs, hair, and fists.

Dadan smiled at the brats before pulling out her camera for a few pictures. It was amazing to see Luffy smile after everything that happened and she didn’t want to forget this moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I combined what was previously chapters six and seven. Updated July 2018


	7. Lime

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Garp being Garp, misgendering, child on child violence, canon-typical violence, gender issues

A burst of giggles erupted from her mouth as she ran. This was the most fun she could remember having in a long time. Kourei could not believe she had never done this before. Running alongside the two boys she could feel her stuffed belly protest with each jostle. The three of them had gone to one of the nicest restaurants in outer Goa and ate until they almost puked. Kourei didn’t realize it was a dine-n-dash though, not until Ace and Sabo grabbed her arms and jumped out the window with her in tow. She was very glad she had worn shorts today because a dress most certainly would have tripped her up.

Laughing with the boys, they did not slow until they reached the Grey Quarters.

“That was AMAZING!” Kourei yelled as she jumped across the trash fields.

“LUFFY, don’t run so fast!” Sabo yelled back at the girl, as he looked over to Ace he saw the boy catching up to Luffy. “ACE!”

“Gotcha!” The freckled boy yelled as he tackled Kourei.

“Let’s go Sabo!” the two black haired children yelled as they looked back at the blonde boy.

“IDIOTS!”

The three continued to run until they made it to their hideout. The treehouse the three had made with the help of the bandits that looked like a strange mix between a pirate ship and a hut. Scrambling up the ladder the three fought to be first into the treehouse. Kourei laughed as she burst past the two boys and tumbled through the curtain acting as a door.

“HAHA, suckers I am first! You must bow before me, the fastest and smartest in the world!”

“LUFFY!” the two boys tackled the gloating girl, leading to a tussle on the floor. The boys did not stop until Sabo was sitting on the girl's legs and Ace her back.

“Get off you fatties!” She yelled as she uselessly thrashed her arms about.

“Not until you say I am the fastest.” Ace threatened.

“Yeah,” Sabo interjected, “and I am the smartest!”

“NEVER!” She screamed as she started to wiggle out from under the two boys.

“FINE!” the two boys chorused before both flopped down in the girl, fully covering her and preventing any chance of escape.

“-mph- fatties.” Kourei snarked as her face was smushed into one of the many rugs scattered around the treehouse.

The children sat like that for a few minutes before Ace became bored with just lying on the girl. Without permission, his hand reached up and began to pet at the black fuzz that was growing out of the girl’s scalp. She froze under the two boys when Ace touched her head, before deeply sighing and relaxing as the boy gently scratched at her scalp.

“Sorry about your hair Luffy.” The freckled boy murmured into the girl's shoulder.

“S’okay… it’ll grow back.”

“... and your face?” Sabo asked as he picked at the carpet.

“Idiots, faces don’t grow back.” The girl replied as she traced the scar across her cheek, her fingers meeting exposed teeth by the corner of her mouth. “Now I look like a real pirate, like Shanks.”

“Ha I am more of a pirate than you,” Ace gloated as he rolled off the girl, “Sabo and I have way more loot, like real pirates!”

“You have also been amassing it for five years.” She replied, boosting herself onto her elbows and turning to look at Sabo. The blue-clad boy was still sprawled across her legs.

“EW, Luffy don’t do that!” Sabo yelled as he scrambled off the girl.

“Eh, what?”

“THAT!” the two boys chorused as they pointed at the unnaturally bent girl, her torso almost turned 90 degrees to look at her now vacated legs.

“Shishishi you two are way too squeamish.” she giggled before moving into basic stretches.

“You act like you’re made of rubber or something,” Sabo stared as the girl moved from a Cobra pose into a Crow, “it is freaky.”

“Ace spot me please.” The girl said as she ignored Sabo. Ace went to stand by the girl's head as she flipped into a handstand.

“DON’T IGNORE ME!”

“I’m not, I just wanted to stretch before we had a sparring match.”

“Why are you even so flexible?” Ace asked as he waited for the girl to lose balance. She never did.

“Because I am a girl?” She replied as she flipped back into a Bridge.

“NOT WHAT I MEANT STUPID!” Sabo yelled before he paused. “Wait, you’re a girl?”

Kourei paused, she realized how awkward she looked mid-Plow pose, with her knees practically touching her chin. Untucking from the pose she sat down cross-legged and patted the carpet next to herself. She was not expecting to have to have this conversation yet, if ever, but no reason to put it off if the cat is already out of the bag.

Ace sat down on her left as Sabo hesitated before sitting on her right. This was going to be so painful, discussing gender with two prepubescent boys one of whom was literally raised by mountain bandits. Sighing she braced herself for what was sure to be a horrible and awkward discussion.

“OK first, no interrupting, this conversation is going to be horrible and you will both regret this as much as I will but it is important. Second, you have to promise to stay friends after this.” She finished as she waited for Ace and Sabo’s reactions.

The boys looked at each other before nodding and crossing their own legs.

“We’re ready,” Sabo said as he smiled at the girl.

 

* * *

 

 

“... and that is the easiest way to break the down gender-spectrum.” Kourei finished her lecture. Looking at the boys she could see Sabo had, while not completely understanding the complicated parts, at least absorbed the basics of what she had been talking about. Ace was sleeping with his eyes open.

“So, you are a girl?” Sabo asked as Kourei punched Ace’s head to wake him up.

“Mostly, yeah” was her reply as she poked the still sleeping boy’s cheek.

“Is your name still Luffy?”

“Sometimes,” she reached over and stretched Ace’s cheeks before squishing his face, “but if it is easier you can still call me that.”

Ace shot awake, his forehead colliding with Kourei’s. The two began to roll around in shock and pain from the surprise headbutt.

“No,” Sabo looked at the amateur comedy duo with disappointment, “what is your real name?”

The girl stared at the blonde before smiling and scratching at the scar on her lip. “I am Kourei, Monkey D. Kourei, and someday I am going to rule the world!”

“Ha!” Ace tackled the girl and put her into a headlock. “I’m Portgas D. Ace and I am going to be the greatest pirate ever!”

The two black-haired children turned to look at Sabo expectantly. A humorous sight with Kourei still in Ace’s headlock.

The blonde laughed at the two before finishing the little game. “I am Sabo and I am gonna write a book ever about my adventure, the greatest book ever.”

The three children laughed, the awkward atmosphere having evaporated with the horse-play between them. It didn’t matter if Luffy was Luffy or Kourei, she was their friend and her being a girl didn’t change that. Said girl popped up suddenly, Ace dangling from her neck as his legs dragged behind the two.

“I’m hungry let’s go hunt.” The girl had an insatiable appetite, how could she already be hungry after the huge meal they had in Goa. As Sabo thought this he heard a growl and watched as Ace covered his stomach.

“You two are insane.” The blonde murmured before grabbing his abandoned pipe and walking out of the treehouse. He heard a commotion before Ace joined him down the ladder.

“Where is Lu-Kourei?”

“HERE!” The girl in question yelled as she jumped from the house.

“IDIOT!” The boys yelled as they watched in horror as she fell past them on the ladder before they realized she had tied a rope to a branch. The idiot was sliding down the rope and smiled up at the two once she reached the ground.

“Slowpokes.”

Ace jumped off the last step of the ladder and used the momentum to punch the girl. “Dumbass.”

The girl cradled her now throbbing head as she glared at the boy. “Ass!”

“Girl’s don’t swear,” Sabo said as he handed Ace the boy’s pipe.

“The fuck they don’t, Dadan swears all the time!”

“Dadan is different, she is a bandit.” Ace smirked at the girl, thinking he had outsmarted her.

“Well, I am going to be a pirate so your gender expectations can suck my ass.”

The bickering devolved into a scuffle as Kourei tackled Ace and the two fought to pin each other for a noogie. Sabo shook his head at the two as he smiled, is this what having siblings feels like, he thought to himself. The smile on his face only grew as Ace pinned the girl and attempted to make her eat dirt, at least until she bit the boy’s hand.

 

* * *

 

 

Picking at the rug under her belly Kourei began to hum and kick her feet, gently smacking the back of Sabo’s legs. The boys were playing Cheat. They had forbidden Kourei from playing card games as she always won. They were betting with some Beli bills they had ‘picked up’ earlier that day in their trip to Goa. Kourei was bored, but she didn’t want to break the calm atmosphere that bubbled the trio. Rolling onto her back the girl began to do a few half-assed jackknifes before star-fishing on the floor and letting out a drawn-out sigh.

“What do you want?” Sabo asked absentmindedly.

“boooorrrrreeeedddddddd”

“Take a nap.”

“mmmmmmm’not tired.”

“Go hunt.” Ace piped in.

“mmmmm’not hungry.”

“LIAR!” The boys yelled in unison without looking up from their cards.

“hmmmmmm.”

“Ignore her,” Sabo sighed as he placed two cards face down, “Seven and King, she’ll tire out eventually.”

“Cheat, maybe if we ignore her she’ll go away.” Flipping over the cards Ace cursed as they were both a king and a seven. Drawing two from the pile he continued, “Of course that has never worked before.”

“You two could at least pretend not to talk about me like I can’t hear you.”

“The point is that you hear us,” Ace snarked at the girl, “Three and Ten, maybe then you’ll actually listen to us.”

“Eh,” The girl grunted as she picked her nose, purposefully flicking the treasure she dug out in the boy's direction.

“GROSS!” Sabo yelled as he jumped away from the booger, dropping his cards in the process. Ace attempted to slip a handful of cards into Sabo’s dropped deck but he was soon drawn into an all-out war of elbows and limbs. By the time the three were done playing the sun was setting and the boys would have to find a new card deck, as the tussle crumpled and tore several cards.

The fighting ended with Kourei on the bottom of a dog-pile, like always, and with Ace and Sabo pinning her legs and back. The weight of the two boys was comforting, helping to ground Kourei and let her focus. If they could just stay like this for the rest of their lives she was sure to die happy.

“I love you guys.” The girl mumbled to herself as she began to doze off under the boys.

“Huh?” The two asked in unison leaning closer to Kourei but the girl was already fast asleep.

 

* * *

 

 

Kourei kept an eye on Sabo as he and Ace sparred. The boys had asked for her help in building a tolerance to some of her favored toxins. After the incident where Ace chugged down an entire pot of Ginger-Poppy Tea after eating one of Kourei’s more questionable attempts at cooking. The girl had tried to make a dish she remembered fondly from her previous life, which just happened to contain more peppers than a sane person would willingly eat. Sadly, Ace had just seen the meat and ate almost the entire plate before the spice caught up with him. The boy had been sick for days afterward.

Now the boys wanted her to help them build a tolerance to her experiments and concoctions. Kourei figured it couldn’t hurt to help them develop immunity, plus she could get free labor out of them in making the poisons.

As she watched the boys she noticed Sabo beginning to slow down and stumble. Time to call the match.

“Ace, Sabo, time to rest.”

The boys froze before collapsing, it seems Ace was affected by the venom as well. Both the boys were panting and showing signs of exhaustion but nothing indicating dangerous symptoms or reactions to the poisons.

“How do you both feel, any nausea or lightheadedness?”

“This -pant- sucks.”

“Yes, it does Sabo, but you both asked for this.”

“Why aren’t you affected, you took double the dose we did!”

“Because I have already developed a high immunity to Turtle Snake venom and Monkshood stopped affecting me years ago. I thought this was obvious, Ace are you that dumb?”

“FUCK YOU!” Ace yelled as he attempted to tackle the girl, instead he tripped over his own feet and face planted in the dirt.

“Come on you two, time to stretch out for round two, you two versus me.”

“Unfair.” Sabo panted at the girl as he fell into a basic stretch, “The only time you can beat us is if you poison us first.”

“Yes, and this is a lesson for you two, always be prepared to fight, even if you are impaired.”

The two boys glared at the girl before standing and falling into their fighting stances. As the three prepared to launch at each other Kourei froze, then turned and began running at the forest line.

“HEY!” the boys chorused before falling silent as they heard the girl scream something indistinguishable. Looking at each other the two ran towards the direction the girl ran, a war cry falling from their mouths. What met the boys was the sight of the girl being spun around by a giant of a man.

“SHITTY OLD MAN!” Ace yelled before attempting to run in the opposite direction. The black-haired boy never had a chance as the old marine lunged at the escaping child.

“FIST OF LOVE!”

Sabo stared as the old man punched Ace into unconsciousness before the man turned to look at him. “Who’re you?”

“Um, uh, I… I AM ACE’S BROTHER! WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM!?”

“Huh, I don’t remember having another grandkid, oh well, FIST OF LOVE!”

 

* * *

 

 

Kourei hated waking up with a headache but when your grandfather is a violent man who insists toughness comes from experience there is no way around it. Snuggling into the blankets she stopped and looked around realizing she wasn’t sitting in her grandfather's arms as usual. She was instead lying in the loft with an unconscious Ace and Sabo. Her face was smooshed against Sabo’s legs as Ace pinned her on the back.

“... I see. I thought Luffy would be safe here but it seems I overestimated you Dadan. I’ll have to find somewhere safe for him again.”

Grandfather was going to take her away, off this damn island! But, Ace and Sabo would still be stuck here. That wouldn’t do. Wiggling out from between the two boys she started to screech as Ace was clinging like a leech to the back of her shirt.

“ACE LEGGO!” She kicked her feet at the boy before tumbling out of the loft, dragging the other two with her. “Graanpaaa you can’t make me leave!” She yelled from under the pile of blankets and limbs.

“Luffy… you were hurt.”

“Yeah, and you threw me into a pit of wolves once!”

“THAT WAS DIFFERENT! I was there to get you out and you escaped with only a few scratches.”

“So what!? I love Ace and Sabo, they are my brothers, you can’t take them away from me, they are **MINE**!”

“Luffy you can’t claim people.”

“NO, they are mine now, we promised and made a blood pact and if you take them I will find a way back and fight and scream!”

Ace and Sabo awoke with all the yelling going on, both now protectively sitting next to the crying girl. Sabo was trying to stop her from crying as Ace glared daggers at Garp.

“WHADDA YOU WANT SHITTY OLD MAN?!” Ace yelled as he shook his fist at the marine.

“Now Ace, it isn’t safe for Luffy to stay here.”

“Kourei,” Sabo said as he looked at Garp.

“What was that brat?”

“Her name is Kourei and she is our little sister.” The blonde hugged the girl as Ace came over to brace her other side. “And we promised to protect her from now on!”

“... Idiots.” The girl whispered in a wobbly voice. “Grandpa didn’t know…”

She peeked from under her watery eyelashes towards her gaping grandfather. The poor man looked so confused. Standing out from under the protection of her brothers she walked over to her grandfather and held out her arms in the universal sign for a hug. The man stared at her face and then looked at her shorn hair before falling back towards her face, she could tell his eyes were cataloging all her new scars. The vicious Glasgow smile cutting across half her face distorted what was once an adorable childish pout into an almost ghoulish grimace.

“Up,” she demanded, reverting to a more childish behavior she knew Garp was more comfortable with, “you owe me months of hugs.”

The man continued to stare before laughing loudly and picking her up, a huge smile splitting across his face. “You spoiled brat!”

Looking over her grandfather’s broad shoulders, Kourei noticed the boys looking confused. Smiling deviously, she whispered in her grandfather’s ear before pointing at the boys. Another booming laugh exploded from the man before he turned suddenly and lunged for the unwitting boys. Ace tried to escape but both he and Sabo were caught in the vice-like grip of Garp’s arms as the man swung them around.

“What adorable grandchildren I have, Dadan do you see how loyal they are!? They are going to make great Marines one day!”

“WE’RE GONNA BE PIRATES!” All three children yelled in unison before each received a hard punch to the head.

  

* * *

 

 

Sabo was watching his siblings spar. Kourei was losing to Ace, the boy having pinned her twice already. This was not unusual at all and actually quite expected, what was unusual was that Kourei was refusing to yield to Ace; she kept bouncing up and charging the boy over and over. The blonde figured it was probably because Garp was watching the fight.

The old man and Kourei seemed to have a complicated relationship, the marine constantly trying to push Kourei to the extremes while still physically spoiling her with, in Sabo’s opinion, excessive skinship. What was strange was that Kourei, the girl who still flinched whenever Magra or any other large men approached her, allowed the giant of a man to snuggle and pull her into unexpected hugs. It was like Kourei was the adult humoring a clingy child, except Sabo and Ace had seen the girl willing walk over to the man and initiate hugs just as often.

“Just give up already!” Ace yelled as he pinned the girl for the third time.

“NEVER!”

“GWAHAHA that’s my Luffy!”

There was also that. The marine didn’t seem to understand what Sabo had meant when he said that Kourei was a girl. No that’s not right, it was more like the man ignored anything that didn’t make sense to him; Kourei being Kourei and not Luffy just confused the old man so he just continued as if Sabo and Ace didn’t correct him every time he said the wrong name. This just seemed to push Kourei further into attempting to act like Ace, like a boy instead of the spoiled girl they knew her to be. The girl had even gone so far as to not wear her dresses for as long as the man was staying. She was a completely different person around Garp and Sabo could tell it was upsetting Ace as much as it was him.

Kourei was starting to stumble and lose her balance as she continued to spar with the freckled boy. Normally she would stop once she reached her limit and trade off with Sabo but Garp’s presence was making her stubborn, like the idea of the man thinking her weak drove her past the point of logic.

“GIVE UP!” Ace yelled at the girl as she was put into a headlock.

“ACE STOP!” Sabo screamed as he saw Kourei starting to turn a vicious red. This startled Ace enough that he let go of the girl, who began coughing violently and sagged against the ground. Garp truly brought the worst out of both, made them far too competitive and angry for it to be healthy.

Sabo ran over to the duo as Ace crouched down and began to rub the coughing girls back. Garp was laughing, the insane man was laughing! The boys glared at the old man as they tried to calm-down Kourei.

“This is no time to laugh you old fart, Kourei could have been hurt!” Ace glared at the marine as he yelled.

“I would’ve stopped it before then.” Was the blasé reply from Garp.

Sabo felt the frustration building in his chest, but he knew that neither he nor Ace could attack Garp, for one is was painfully obvious they would lose spectacularly if they did, and there was also the fact Kourei was attached to the old fart. The saving grace of this whole ordeal was that Garp said he could only stay for a few weeks. Until then they had to stay strong, once the geezer was gone the boys would have their old Kourei back. And she would focus her attention back on them instead of snuggling the old geezer!

Sabo stopped glaring at the old man and reviewed his line of thought just now. Was he being a possessive sibling?

… Naw, Ace would tell him if he was being too clingy with their sister.

 

* * *

 

 

“Ace… Sabo… leggo.”

“No” Ace mumbled out, his face pressed against the girl’s stomach. Sabo simply buried his head deeper into her side. The boys seemed more cuddly than normal, having willingly slept on the same mattress as the girl after Garp left. Maybe they had simply liked her mattress better and used it when she had shared with her grandfather while he had been visiting. Whatever the reason she knew the quickest way to get Ace up.

“Let’s get breakfast.” The words worked like magic and the black-haired boy sprang up and scrambled his way out of the loft. Sabo was still clinging to her side, the blonde boy much more difficult to bribe.

“Come on Sabo, you are being weird, let’s go.”

“M’ not weird.”

“You’re being clingy.”

“Cause you’re back.”

“I never left dummy.”

“Come on you two!” Ace popped up over the edge of the loft, already dressed for the day and holding both his and Sabo’s pipes.

Grudgingly Sabo let the girl go and crawled towards Ace. He proceeded to tackle the boy and the two fell into a heap of sharp elbows and knobby knees. Kourei began to giggle as she observed the boys wrestle. Clearly, they were still sleep-addled as both boys were still sluggish and not putting in all their strength. Looking up she saw Dadan smiling at the boys before the two women locked eyes. The ginger bandit nodded at the girl before motioning her over. Kourei’s eyes sparkled, her hair was finally long enough to brush again. It was still short, no more than an inch had grown out since the incident but it was still hair.

Clambering down the ladder, Kourei ignored the boys on the floor and walked over to Dadan before sitting down in front of the woman. Their ritual was being reinstated and that made Kourei ecstatic, she desperately missed having her hair brushed; the soothing, repetitive motion of the soft bristles passing through the strands. She began to doze off, her eyes closing at the soothing motion. That is until she feels her cheeks being stretched.

Flailing the girl fell backward onto Dadan’s lap as she kicked out with her foot. When she opened her eyes, she saw Ace rolling on the floor holding his chin. Serves him right for startling her like that.

Getting up from Dadan’s lap the girl walked over to her clothing pile and picked out a clean shirt. She was starting to grow out of much of the clothes she had brought here. Kourei didn’t want to have to steal from stores but it might come to that if she started popping any of the seams.

Ace and Sabo were waiting for her outside the house, the freckled boy bouncing on the balls of his feet while the blonde was more calmly leaning on his pipe. As soon as the boys noticed her they smiled before dashing off to hunt. They seemed to be full of energy for having just woken up, maybe she should start dosing them with some calming herbs. They did say they wanted her to help them build tolerances to her favored poisons.

As she ran along with them Sabo threw his arm around her shoulders, maybe she could put off drugging the boys for a while longer. Certainly, though once they hit puberty she would need to provide them with medicine to smooth out the hormonal transitions from child to teens. That was much later though, no need to worry about that now.

Kourei smiled as she ran with her brothers, comforted by the fact they would always be there for each other. If anyone ever tried to take them away from her, she knew she would kill without hesitation, they were hers after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edited July 2018


	8. Pear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The promise of a life-time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: injury mention, implied death

“I don’t like this.” Kourei pouted as she watched Ace and Sabo attempt to fix their treehouse. The storm coming over the horizon was sure to cause damage to the wood building so the boys were trying to preemptively fortify the weak points. The boys had refused to let her join them in hanging on the sides of the building to hammer wood boards onto the windows and where some planks had rotted away a while ago.

“If you don’t like it then go find some dinner!” Ace yelled as he threw a broken plank down at the girl.

Kourei dodged out of the way of the falling wood and flipped off the boy. She stuck out her tongue before turning towards the forest, grabbing one of the boys’ pipes leaning against a tree she flipped out her hunting knife. Already she was imagining a huge meal of mountain bear and fish. She felt drool gathering in the corner of her mouth. Running towards one of her favorite hunting spots Kourei could already feel her belly prepare for a feast.

A distant sounding commotion caused her pause. Sneaking towards the sound she stopped when she spotted the cause of the yelling. An ugly man with long black hair, thinning around his hairline and heavy with grease from being unwashed for a long time. The man was wearing a tattered blue coat, it looked like a captain's coat but was clearly in terrible condition. As the man was yelling at what she assumed were his subordinates she recognized one of the men, it was the blonde man from when she had been taken. The blonde man looked very beaten down but as she listened into what was being said she lost all pity she might have felt for him.

“I can’t believe how useless you are, you idiots can’t even find some dumb little brats!” The ugly man yelled at the groveling crew.

“Boss we’ve looked all over the Grey Terminal and the is no sign of the brats.”

“Yeah,” another sniveling man interjected, “every time there’s rumor of one of da brats they are gone ‘fore we get there.”

The large man did not appreciate being told this as he backhanded the man who had just spoken before yelling at the other. “Those brats killed three of our men and we are being paid to find ‘em now hurry up and if ya can’t find em then I’ll kill you!”

Shit, they had to be talking about her and her brothers. There was way too many of them for her to take out on her own and if they were being paid to find them then there was someone looking for her brothers. Quietly she turned and sneaked away towards the direction of the treehouse. Kourei had to warn her brothers, she had to find a way to protect them from this. Once she was a good distance from the pirates Kourei broke into a run. She knew that once she was at the treehouse she and her brothers could figure out what to do.

Skidding to a halt at the base of the tree Kourei yelled at her brothers, catching their attention with waving arms and loud yells.

“ACE, SABO!” Kourei continued to yell as she waited for the boys to come down.

“Why are you yelling?” Sabo asked once he was on the ground.

“The pirates! They are looking for you, they are looking for all of us!”

“What pirates?” Ace was following Sabo as the boy went to Kou’s side.

“Those stupid Bluejam Pirates, the ones that you idiots stole from. The ones that ruined my beautiful face!”

“Why’re they looking for us?” Ace asked looking between Kou and Sabo and the blonde tried to comfort the girl, the girl who was clearly starting to become hysterical and was grabbing at her short hair.

“Revenge” Was the only answer Sabo could think of, revenge for the stolen treasure and revenge for escaping.

“You two cannot go into the City alone, none of us can while those men are looking for us.” Kourei was deep into a panic now, a death grip on each boys’ shirts as she mumbled about plans and dangers.

“We promise Kou,” Ace told the girl as he patted her head, “none of us will go to Goa by ourselves, and we will tell Dadan or one of the other bandits if we go to the city.”

“Yeah,” Sabo agreed while kneeling at Kou’s level to put an arm around her shaking shoulders, “whatever you think will keep the pirates away from us, we promise to do it. OK?”

Kourei sniffled for a few more seconds before looking up at her brothers. “Pinky promise?”

“Pinky promise.” The boys replied in unison, hooking their respective fingers around Kou’s.

 

* * *

 

 

Kourei looked down at what was once a nice green cotton dress with tearful eyes. It had finally happened, the feared growth spurt that finally ripped the seams on the last piece of clothes that fit the girl. Now faded and better used for rags than clothes, Kou knew she would have to toss the dress. Probably most of her other pieces of clothes as well, lest they end as tragically as the dress in her hands.

“Hey Kou, what’s taking you so long?” Ace asked as he popped his head over the edge of the loft. Normally Kou would yell at the boy about privacy, something Ace never really understood. They both had scrawny chest and bony elbows and knee, nothing Ace had never seen before in the bath or when changing. Plus, Kou still took baths with Ace and even Sabo sometimes, at least when Dadan could wrestle the boys into the bathhouse behind the main building.

Thoughts of privacy and Kou being a silly girl were quickly wiped from Ace’s thoughts when he saw his little sister sitting next to her bag of clothes. Said clothes were strewn about the loft as the girl stared at the torn dress in her hands.

“Kou, what are you doing?”

“Ace, how big have I gotten since coming here?”

“Huh, I dunno, you’re still a shrimp to me.” Ace replied as he pulled himself over the edge of the sleeping area. Giving Kou a once over the boy shrugged. “maybe you’ve gotten a little bigger, you’re probably just fat though.”

“Rude,” the girl glared at Ace before turning back to her empty clothes sack. “... can I borrow a shirt today? Do you think Sabo will let me take some pants?”

“Why? The clothes there are still good.”

“Most of my stuff is worn thin now if we play while I wear this it will just rip. My dresses are all shorter now too, that means I’d be flashing people when we run around.” She pouted at her brother, waiting for him to give her clothes, but he just stared back blankly. Heaving a monumental sigh Kou pick out her largest tank top and shorts. The jean shorts pinched her belly and hips when she moved quickly and the top hiked up and inch or so when she lifted her arms, but it was still better than nothing. Dadan would probably be willing to send one of the men into the city to pick up some clothes. Even if it was just for a little while. Kou knew she could get enough Beli for a few dresses in about a month. It wouldn’t be much, and anything bought would be grown out of in less than a year, at least if Ace’s growth was any indication. The boy had already shot up three whole inches since Kou was brought to live with the bandits over five months ago.

Kou glared at the boy again as he picked his nose, staring off into space while she finished getting dressed. If she knew the villagers wouldn’t run her out of town Kou would go back Foosha and get Makino to take her shopping. Even remembering Makino brought a pang of sadness to Kou’s chest. Shaking her head, the girl pushed Ace off the edge of the loft before hopping down on top of the yelling boy.

“Shishishi c’mon Ace let’s get breakfast!”

“FATASS KOU!”

Ace chased the girl outside the house, waving his pipe at her head.

 

* * *

 

 

“I want them!”

“Kou, you can’t keep those eggs, we have no clue where they came from”

“Yeah or what they came from! Sabo is right, you can’t keep those. Where would you even put them?”

“I dunno figured I could put them in a blanket in the bathhouse and see what comes out.”

“NO!” both boys shouted in unison, terrified of the thought of going to bathe and finding a crocodile in the tub. Or worse, a snapping turtle.

Kourei pouts at the two, before bundling up the rest of the eggs and muttering to herself as she walked back to the house. “Well, I guess I can just boil them and see what’s inside when we eat then, not like a wanted a pet alligator anyway.”

Sabo and Ace shared a look before rolling their eyes and chasing after their pouting sister. They had Pochi at the house, it wasn’t like the bandits would appreciate more animals, especially the kind of animals Kourei would consider a good pet. As the boys approached the house they noticed Kou standing outside the doorway. The girl seemed to be frozen in place as if shocked; the boys again shared a look, it was far too quiet to be Garp and too early for the Marine to be back based on Ace’s experience. Ace approached the frozen girl first, Sabo trailing behind cautiously his pipe ready to strike if need be.

There sitting at the table was a green-haired woman, wearing a yellow cotton dress and a plaid jacket over top. Laid over the table top was a stack of clothes of varying sizes. Dresses, pants, shirts, and even a few jackets clearly made for the upcoming winter on a spring island.

“M-Makino?” Tears were gathering in Kourei’s eyes as she dropped the eggs she was carrying and threw herself at the woman. Kou’s sudden affection to the strange women startled both boys into barging into the house, smashing the eggs underfoot carelessly and tracking in mud and goo from outside.

“Kou, who’s this lady?” Sabo questioned as he rudely pointed his pipe at the woman.

The girl opened her mouth to answer at the same time Dadan screeched at the boys for trailing in the mess on their feet. The red-haired woman chasing the boys with a broom caused Makino to giggle as Kou snuggled into her waist, tears still dripping from the child’s large eyes and the occasional hiccup breaking lose.

“I missed you, Kou, why didn’t you come down to visit?”

“… no one wanted me there… but I am glad you’re here.”

“Oh Kou, everyone misses you, Chicken keeps coming to the Bar asking where you went to.”

“Hmph, old lady Chicken has the best fried squid… “

“She most certainly does, and you know when I told her I was coming up to see you she gave me a big bag of her Phoenix Special just for you.”

Hearts appeared in Kou’s eyes at the mention of her favorite food and she threw herself over Makino’s lap searching for the bag of precious food. Unable to locate the squid the girl turned back to Makino, big fish eyes at full pout power.

“Oh, silly Kou,” the woman laughed as she pulled a bulging paper bag from her jacket. Her laughter only increasing as Kou made grabbing hands for the bag. Giving Kou the bag, Makino observed the girl ripping open the bag and how drool dripped from the child’s mouth as he inhaled the pungent, spicy scent of grilled, pepper smeared squid. Taking in the new scars decorating the child’s hand and arms Makino couldn’t hold in her sad sigh at the sight of the large scar on Kou’s cheek. The little girl was such a sweet child but clearly had been in danger since moving up into the mountain. Humming Makino looked around the bandit house and spotted two young boys watching her warily from the far end of the table, clearly nursing goose eggs.

“Oh, Kou who are your friends?”

“Hmmm?” the girl looked up, her cheeks full of squid and three wooden skewers poking out of her lips. Swallowing the seafood in her mouth and spitting out the skewers into the bag Kourei turned and looked at the boys Makino had asked about. “They’re Ace and Sabo! My brothers!”

“I see, well I brought plenty of clothes and I am sure I can adjust a few of these shirts to fit your brothers.” Makino indicated for the boys to come closer to check what would fit them.

After pushing and shoving, Ace stood in front of Makino in his shorts while the woman checked different shirts against his frame. Sabo and Kou sat in the background, giggling and laughing as Ace squirmed and blushed under Makino’s scrutiny. Kou knew this was going to be a nice visit: spending time with Makino, new dresses, and embarrassing Ace was a fantastic way to spend a day.

 

* * *

 

 

Kou stared out the window of the bandit house, clutching Magra’s hand between hers as Dogra wrapped bandages around her scrapes and burns. Those damn pirates, that cursed Bluejam had captured her brothers. Even from this distance, Kou could see the fires of the burning Grey Terminal, her brothers and Dadan nowhere in sight.

The flames burned bright, the fires artificially fed with gunpowder and oil. Tar black smoke rapidly rising and choking out the stars from the night sky. All able-bodied bandits were out by the forest edge, desperately trying to prevent the fire from catching and spread onto the mountain. Everyone was out either trying to stop the fire or rescue Ace and Sabo, everyone except Kou. Stuck in the bandit hideout with the two men, she knew Dadan had told the men to keep her in the house, knew that if they weren’t here she would be out there looking for her brothers in the burning slums.

She could feel the rage bubbling under her skin and terror ripping into her soft belly. She would burn down the world for her brothers, but the world was already burning and her brothers nowhere to be found. Already plans were forming, ways to raise the dead, cloning and other sciences from the Before that had been scoffed at or forbidden due to ethical constraints. Of course, any option would still require a body, DNA and access to tools non-existent on this island let alone in this world but, Kourei had worked with less Before.

A hiss escaped the girl as Dogra began blotting the blood from her back, the giant cut diagonally, bisecting her back from shoulder to hip. The pain from the wound was intense, but the anger Kourei was experiencing burned away any sense of pain she may be feeling. What was the point of pain from a wound when the wound itself may have been in vain. She had fought to keep Sabo with her and Ace, tried so hard to save her brother even knowing they would be hunted for it, but those damn pirates had put an end to her fighting. Being stabbed in the back, in a very literal sense, was painful but the worse part was how useless it made her feel. Kou did not regret her actions in the slightest, pushing Ace out of the way of Bluejam’s blade and taking a wound because of it. Even now she could feel the haphazard stitches pulling with each breath, but she refused to take pain medication until she knew Ace was safe.

Kourei may have failed to protect Sabo, but she’d be damned if Ace came back needing medical attention and she is asleep or incapacitated due to medication. Until she sees Ace with her own eyes, Kou would not move from the doorway. She will wait and watch the world burn until her brother is returned.

* * *

* * *

 

 

She was staring out at the ocean again.

Ace sat next to his sister as she stood there, Sabo’s letter between her clenched fists and a far-away look in her eyes. She came to the beach almost daily since they found the note, and would stand there for hours staring out at the water. In the month since the fire had consumed the Grey Terminal and Sabo’s death, Kou barely ate, she didn’t spar with Ace, and she was having nightmares again. She never told Ace what the nightmares were about, but the way she would cling to him for hours after told Ace more than words could.

“Kou, c’mon let’s go back to the house.” The boy stood brushing the sand from his pants as he approached the girl. “Sabo wouldn’t want you to waste away like this.”

Kou didn’t respond but turned to look at her brother, tears filling her eyes and running down her face. Ace hated seeing his sister cry and felt helpless as she stood there crying.

“Big brother.” This was the first time Kourei had spoken since the night of the fire. Ace was both startled at this and concerned.

“Yeah, little sister?”

Kou picked up a broken shell and held it out to Ace, determination lighting behind her eyes as snot and tears continued running down her face. “Promise me.”

“What?” Ace’s face morphed with confusion as he stared at the girl.

“Promise me, with blood, that you won’t leave me like Sabo.”

Understanding crossed Ace’s face as he grabbed the shell from Kou’s hand. Quickly slashing his palm over the scar from their sibling vow he held his bloody palm out. The girl took the shell and mimicked Ace’s action, dropping the shell after cutting her palm and placing Sabo’s letter on the pooling blood. Clasping their hands together with the last remnant of their brother between the two children. Ace can see tears gathering in Kou’s eyes.

“I promise you Kourei, I’ll never leave you. I won’t ever die and leave you alone!”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> edited July 2018.


	9. Parrot Lily

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Change happens and time passes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: The selling, production and casual treatment of drugs. implied misgendering. casual violence.

A cacophony of voices rang out as a dozen hands waved off the now seventeen-year-old boy, setting sail into the wide world.

“Bye Ace, take care of yourself!” Makino was surprisingly one of the loudest voices in the crowd, though the crying bandits were not far behind her.

“TAKE ME WITH YOU!”

“Get off you brat, you still have three years left.”

Of course, no one could beat Kourei when it came to loud goodbyes, especially when she doesn’t want to let her brother leave. Kou was clinging to Ace like a limpet, while the boy was trying to shake off his sister, unsuccessfully.

“IF YOU LEAVE I’LL CRY!”

“You’re already crying dumbass. Now leggo!” Ace was pulling at Kou’s pigtails in an attempt to get the crying girl to let go of him. He was so far unsuccessful as the girl had wrapped her arms and legs around his torso like a boa. Ace felt almost embarrassed at the scene she was making if not for the fact that he was leaving and would not have to deal with the fallout of her temper. He honestly didn’t understand why she was making such a fuss anyway, they had been talking about this for years and she would be sailing off in less than four years as well.

“Kou, you have to let Ace go.” Makino always the voice of reason and restraint, there was a reason Ace had a crush on the woman in his youth aside from her lovely looks.

“NEVER!” Now he knew his sister was just being obnoxious on purpose. She was a naturally ugly crier with snot and tears and her face turning a horrible shade of red, but right now all Ace could see was fat tears, not a drop of mucus in sight. The faker.

Laughing Ace tugged on the girl’s pigtails, pulling her into a headlock before giving his sister the biggest noogie of her life. “I guess I can use you as Sea King bait then!”

“Ace no, not my hair!” Kou screeched while giggling, playfully punching at her brother’s ribs. Even with her only hitting him at half strength he was still wheezing after a few punches. Finally, the two separated, Ace wheezing in part breathlessness and part laughter while Kou was full on cackling as she tried to fix her now messy hair.

“Don’t you dare forget me, ok?”

“Pssh, like I would forget such an annoying, crybaby sister.”

Kou looked at the freckled boy for a few seconds, her eyes suspiciously dewy before snorting in the most unattractive way and spitting over her shoulder. “Well you better go before Garp gets here, you are already pushing it waiting to leave until now.”

“HEY, I couldn’t miss your fourteenth birthday, now could I?” Smiling Ace eyed his sister’s right hip. He was happy he stayed if only so he was able to be there for Kou’s first tattoo. He had watched her mull and worry over the design for almost a year after she had learned there was a person in Goa who was willing to give tattoos to anyone with money. Once his sister had saved up enough (and dipped heavily into her boat funds but Ace knew it was worth it to her) he had gone with her to the little alley shop in outer Goa.

It had taken hours and Kou had refused to take a break but the final product was amazing. Ace had been awed when he saw it; a crow holding a bundle of ferns within its claw, the tip of a wing creating an almost perfect circle with the curve of the ferns. The entire tattoo was done in black ink and was large enough to cover part of her belly, leg, and rear. Even though it had cost more Beli than Ace would have thought and Kou was unable to sit properly or even wear pants for a month after, it still made her smile brighter than Ace could remember so it was worth the delay. It had also inspired Ace to get his own tattoo, at least once he had set out and had enough treasure to get it.

“You be safe, ok.” Ace smiled and ruffled the hair Kou had just finished braiding, making her growl and swat at his hand.

“I hope a Sea King eats you!” The girl yelled, waving her fists at him as she walked back towards the crowd of people. Makino was smiling at the siblings’ antics, her hands covering her obvious smile.

A few of the other gathered Foosha villagers were also smiling and chuckling but there was also a number that watched warily. Once Ace left, there would be no one in the village or even on the island that could match Kou in strength and that was a frightening thought. Woop Slap especially could still remember the way the ‘girl’ had been as a child, all cold eyes and poison dipped fingers. Even more concerning was how attached the mayor knew the child had become to the freckled boy. The last time someone important to the brat had left she killed a person. Now that she was almost an adult who knew what would happen to those around her unlucky enough to be deemed disposable. Thankfully that was not his concern as the little demon was Curly Dadan’s problem and had only come down to Foosha in the past few years to either see Makino or Gyoru’s fish-stall.

As if reading the older man’s thoughts, the black-haired demon looked directly at him and smiled, the savage scar on her cheek making her look practically demonic. Truly, Woop Slap feared for the world once Garp’s biological grandchild decided to spread her wings.

 

* * *

 

 

Fiddling with her necklace Kou walked around what remained of Sabo Country. She laughed to herself at the memory or her and Ace creating the little shack in front of the bandit hideout. It had been their way to remember their brother.

At first, Ace had wanted to show his independence by creating ‘Ace Country’ but had quickly been convinced that it would be better for the siblings to work together. It hadn’t been too hard really, some crocodile tears and a day of ‘failed’ hunts in favor of playing up the crybaby little sister was all it took. Ace had quickly declared Kou too much of useless little sister to be left on her own and said she could be part of his country. From there it was simply asking to call it Sabo Country in memory of their lost brother and bringing a few days of her bringing in the better hunts for Ace to realize he had been played. Of course, by then it was too late for the boy to declare it Ace Country again or to kick her out of the little hut so there she stayed.

Crawling into the wooden shack, Kou looked over the crude maps on the walls and the pelt rugs scattered across the dirt floor. It had been years since she and Ace had played in there together but memories still bubbled up whenever she sat on the floor. Her and Ace drawing fantastical maps of what the Grand Line must look like, creating fake wanted posters for themselves with bounties so high they were comical, and her favorite, collecting trinkets, bits, and treasures that the two had known Sabo would have loved.

Sighing wistfully, she began to roll up the better pelts and tie them off with cords. With the amount of money Ace had taken when he left and her second tattoo that had drained the rest of her Beli, Kou was broke. Not that she regretted the ouroboros that now circled her left bicep. Just like the tattoo on her hip, the simple band held meaning, a reminder of all she had lost. Even though it had drained her savings she regretted nothing.

Of course, now the girl had to work towards making herself a little more solvent financially and selling the pelts and fur she and Ace had collected over the past few years would surely be a good first step. Kou also knew her way around most, if not all, the plants in the area so she could always make tonics and herbal cures. Hell, if she really wanted she could always turn to poisons and make a killing, all puns intended.

Thinking it over as she finished collecting the furs, Kou realized it wasn’t a bad idea. Selling tonics and medicines alone was well and good, but there was a lack of drug rings or assassins within Goa. As far as Kou knew there was no real drug presence in Goa which was surprising with how much poppy she could harvest from the mountain. She, in fact, had jars of the stuff, enough to make a few dozen ounces or extract.

Nodding to herself it was settled, today she would sell as many furs as possible and spend tomorrow working on a few medicines and poppy extracts. It would take a week or so of experimentation but if she could perfect the process then creating a marketable opioid was a guaranteed money maker.

 

* * *

 

 

It had been surprisingly easy to create an oil extract from the poppy seeds. Even more shocking was how easy it was to sell a dozen of the extracts to some poor souls in the reformed Grey Terminal for some scraps. One man had been willing to trade almost ten pounds of heavily tarnished metal scraps for three bottles. Kou almost felt bad for the man once she had cleaned up the metal at the tree house and discovered it was silver and copper coins. Of course, she knew from what she could recall from the Before that one had to start small and stay cold in the business of peddling drugs. Already she had people coming to her from Middle Goa, and even nobles from the Palace sneaking all the way to her stall.

Convincing a handful of Dadan’s bandits to act as gophers for Kou’s business was unsurprisingly simple. Dadan had, of course, extracted a promise from the girl that she wouldn’t let the men use any of the product and the red-haired woman wanted a small cut for loaning out the men but altogether Kou’s foster mother was far more supportive than what could be considered morally acceptable.

The business had boomed to such an extent that Kou had to develop a schedule. Sundays were fun, as those were the days Kou spent working on her tinctures and extracts, checking what was ready for sale that week. Dadan had jokingly called it Garden Sunday, and the name had stuck. It was also nice as Magra and a few of the other men joined in the process of tending to the plants and collecting what Kou needed to make her potions.

Monday to Wednesday was spent selling from an alley in Outer Goa. Her healing goods and simple concoctions sold well with the poorer citizens who couldn’t afford doctors but needed healing. Additionally, the dried flowers and teas she made sold well with older citizens who Kou was more than happy to trade with. These days were peaceful but often not the most lucrative as Kou was more than willing to make trades for her more begin products.

Thursday was spent collecting tradable treasure and smaller Beli denominations from the treehouse to take to the only Bank House on the island. Thursday was the bandits’ favorite day as that was when they got paid and Dadan received her cut. It was also the day Kou brought back the wine and sake that the bandits blew their money on.

Friday was Kou’s day of rest, and the day she sent her gophers to peddle her more addictive wares. It had taken some weeks of study to discover the best spots for the men to set up shop, but once they knew where the best alleys and corners were to sell the poppy oil and powders it had only taken a little threatening and fighting to claim the spots. Fridays were guaranteed to be the most lucrative days as there were several rich nobles who had become addicted to the opioid product. It was also the most dangerous day as the bandits had to protect the wares, knowing if the demon child thought they were skimming product she would be quick to correct them.

It had happened only once, one of the men working for the girl had taken a few doses of product from his allotted sale and had swiftly become addicted. Both Kou and Dadan had meted out punishment, both severe in their unique way. While Dadan had beaten the idiot man for using what he knew was an addictive substance and stealing from Kou, the punishment from the child had been cruel. She had locked him in one of the rooms in the hideout and forced him to detox, cold turkey with no one to help through the sweats and sickness. Once the man was sober Kou was quick to remove him from the gopher roster and had broken his dominant hand. While Dadan was not happy about Kou breaking the man’s hand, the woman also knew the girl’s original idea of cutting off the appendage would have been far worse.

Saturdays were by far Kou’s favorite day. On the last day of the week, Kou would account for all her treasure and money and was always happy with her profit. If the profit was substantial enough then Kou would make the hike to Foosha and spend the day with Makino. The morning would be spent at the market getting supplies for a feast and Kou filling up on squid. The rest of the day, Kou and Makino would go to the perpetually empty house Garp had built many years back and spend the afternoon cooking and talking. By the evening there would be a feast laid out on the table: Sweet coconut curry, grilled pork, baked fish and seafood, roasted squash and potatoes, and freshly baked bread. The table would, more often than not, groan under the weight of the feast, but Kou was quick to dig in and relieve the table of its burden.

  

* * *

 

 

“Hey girly, I think you’re lost.”

“I think you should mind your own business unless you wanna lose your big nose.”

“The fuck you say brat!?”

“I said scram, unless you’re buying you need to move along.”

“I’ll show you brat.” The hulking man lifted his sword, the dirty blade glinting in the hazy afternoon air as his face turned red in anger. The idiot left his ribs completely exposed so it was no surprise that the slip of a girl he was threatening kicked his chest with enough force to send him flying. The man landed in a heap with a sickening crack, his head bouncing off the packed dirt. Few people stopped to see what the commotion was about, after all in outer Goa you only survived if you kept your head down.

Standing the girl walked over to the possibly concussed man and began to rifle through his pockets. She found nothing of value aside from a few bills and a rather nice ruby earing. Slipping what few valuables she could find into the pouch at her hip Kou went back to her blanket and collected her wares. She was getting hungry and knew where to get the best barbeque, so while the fool interrupting her sales was annoying she could come back tomorrow.

Counting the Beli and gold in her pouch Kou had to whistle at the amount. Almost 30,000 in Beli and at least a dozen or so gold trinkets. Today was a fantastic sale day. Smiling with a skip in her step Kou imagined the amount of food she could get with the money. So immersed in her thoughts of barbecued pork belly and mounds of fresh bread the girl tripped over a fallen woman.

“Huh, what’s the idea?” Kou looked at the woman who caused her to trip and drop her basket. The woman was plain looking, clearly having lived in outer Goa for most of her life judging from her thin figure, crooked fingers, and threadbare clothes. The brown-haired woman was sobbing softly as she cradled what was clearly an ill child if the wheezing, wet breathing was anything to go by.

Shit, Kou was weak to crying women, and even more of a sucker for kids. Damn her soft heart.

“’Scuse me, ma’am, is your kid ok?”

Heaving sobs were the only reply, until like a dam breaking the woman threw herself at Kou, grasping for the only kind presence available.

“C-can you save him, my baby, please save him.”

Fuck this is not what she signed up for. Digging in her basket Kou already knew she wouldn’t have anything that could help, not with the way the baby was wheezing. The child needed a real doctor, not some half-assed decongesting tonic or dried lavender sprigs. Sighing Kou already knew what she was about to do, as idiotic as it was.

“Here, take your kid to a doctor,” closing her eyes Kou shoved her jingling bag of Beli and gold towards the sobbing woman, “hurry up before I change my mind.”

The pale woman looked at the purse wide-eyed for a handful of seconds before fresh tears rolled down her face and she took the bag as if it was another precious child. The woman bowed as deeply as possible with an infant in her arms before turning and running towards the town center.

Heaving a great sigh Kou resigned herself to having to hunt for her food, again. As she turned to head towards the gates she failed to notice the shadowy figure watching.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Kou has very inconsistent characterization, in part because of how she is unconsciously manipulative and has a malleable personality. Kou changes her behavior to suit the expectations of those around her and based on the behaviors and actions of those around her. With Ace, she is more childish due to him treating her like a younger sister and a peer. With Dadan and the bandits, she is more mature and crueler as they are outlaws and bandits who use casual violence and respect power. Makino is like a combination older sister/mother figure so Kou likes to relax around the woman and let her walls down. 
> 
> I am also kinda a terrible writer who can't nail down Kou's personality so there is that.


	10. Passion Fruit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kou is weak for children and has plans for the future. The two are not related.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Violence, casual talk of slavery, abandonment, mentions of implied underage

“So Kou, you’ll be turning sixteen soon, any idea what you are gonna do with your life?” The ginger bandit took a deep draw from her sake as she waited for the girl to reply.

“Hmmm?” was the distracted answer from the girl as she stopped trimming her nails to look at the woman. “What brought this on?”

“Well brat, soon you’re gonna be old enough to join the Marines or sail off on your own. You already know what Garp, the bastard, expects. I am curious, what do you wanna do.”

“I never really thought about it.” Kou looked thoughtful as she fell back next to the larger woman. “Figured whatever got me off this damn island was good enough.”

“Ace is a pirate now, with a bounty and everything.” Another swig of sake before. “You could have a bounty by now too, ya know.” Dadan smiled as she patted the black hair next to her hip.

“You filthy liar. I am an absolute saint compared to the brutes you allow here.”

Dadan laughed at the brat before pinching the girl’s unscarred cheek and pulling. “Now that is the biggest lie I’ve ever heard, and I raised Ace from a baby so I’ve heard some tall tales!”

“ish troo.”

“HA you brat, if Garp knew what you got up to, or if any of those damn government officials could prove anything, you’d have a bounty higher than me!” Thinking about how many people the brat had probably helped make disappear would scare Dadan if it weren’t for the fact the bandit boss knew the kid was soft on her by now. The brat was like a starved dog, quick to snap and bite but show her a little bit of comfort and give her some food and suddenly you had her undying loyalty.

“If they can’t prove anything, then I am completely innocent.” Smacking away the bandit’s hand Kou sat up and took the abandoned booze. Sniffing at the bottle Kou curled her lip in distaste, “I dunno why you buy this cheap shit, you get more than enough money from your cut to buy better booze.”

“Brat,” the ginger woman pulled the bottle out of the girl’s grip and away from her reach, “what I do with my money is up to me, now stop avoiding the question.”

“I really have no clue Dadan. Ace and Sabo always talked about piracy and the freedom that pirates enjoy but…”

“But what?” Dadan took another drink before considering the now empty bottle. “I can’t see you joining the Marines, too controlling.”

“True, and they are just glorified Government attack dogs.”

“Your hatred of the Government and Nobles is gonna get you executed one of these days.”

“Hmmm,” Kou ignored the previous statement as she began to pick at her nose, “what if I just sail off, not as a pirate but as a free person?”

“And how’re ya gonna make money, can’t sell your drug at sea, now can you?” Dadan smacked the girls hand away as the brat went to wipe off the snot.

“I could steal it from rich. Noble ships and towns are sure to have money.”

“That’s piracy you stupid brat.”

“I could stay here.”

“I would sooner marry Garp than you would willingly stay here.”

“Gross, I don’t wanna think of you and gramps like that!” the girl screeched as she crawled away from the lounging bandit she had been snuggled next to.

“Well then think of what you’re gonna do with your life instead.” The large woman pulled the girl back to her side, forcing the teenager to look at her as she spoke. “I don’t want you wasting your youth like I did, committing petty crimes and chasing idiot men not worth your time. It took me decades to become the Boss I am today, and I refuse to see you waste your talent. You have the makings of a real pirate, not some small-time bandit or no-name thief but a real honest to Gods legend.” Dadan was becoming mildly misty-eyed, perhaps more drunk than she had thought. “Brat you are the spawn of Monkey D. Garp, and sister to Portgas D. Ace; if you decide to waste your life here on this island, or as a petty sea bandit that’s your choice, but you and I both know you’ll never be happy with that.”

“Dadan…” Kou pulled the woman into a hug burrowing into the soft cotton shirt the woman always wore. It smelt of Sake, wood smoke, and tobacco. To Kou, it smelt like comfort. “I know what I want to be.”

“And what’s that, you brat?”

“I am gonna be King of the Pirates.”

 

* * *

 

 

The sky was an unpleasant grey color, clouds hovering and heavy with rain but not a single drop fell from the sky. The air felt sticky with the stagnant humidity and Kou hated every second of it. Her already uncontrollable hair became a mess of fly-away hair and rebellious curls that not even severe braids or slicked buns could corral. Kou had resigned herself to the rat’s nest she called hair long ago, but even growing the black locks out did nothing except make the underlying curls more defined. Already she had broken three hair ties attempting to wrangle the mane into a semblance of order.

Blowing a raspberry, the teen flicked the broken piece of rubber away and leaned back on her hands. Looking at the sky Kou attempted to calculate the time, but with the sun blocked out by thick clouds it was too difficult for her half-melted brain. She really hated the summers on the island, far too humid and just warm enough to make it miserable; like walking through mud or breathing tar. Even her dress clung with the sweat unable to evaporate, the gauzy linen barely tolerable with the weather. Looking at the blanket spread underneath her, the teen let out an explosive sigh. She knew it had to be past lunchtime, but she had barely sold half her usual amount or supplies. Knowing that she was not likely to make many more sales for the day, Kou started to gather up her bags and bottles into the large wicker basket next to her.

“I hate this weather, the absolute worst.” Brushing the dust from the back and knees of her dress, Kou did a little twirl to pull out the wrinkles from sitting for so long. Her hair plumed around her head before settling into a frizzy mane. Rolling a piece of the hair between her finger Kou sighed, “terrible weather.”

The walk back towards the gates was uneventful, which in itself, was a blessing. Goa for all it was a small City on a small island, seemed to teem with small-time criminals and petty pirates attempting to make a name in the East Blue. Because of the number of unsavory individuals that called Goa their home, it was common for a brutish or stupid man to approach Kou and attempt to solicit her for less than pleasant work. Now that puberty had finally reared its ugly head and Kou shot up to a respectable five foot five she could pass for a cute, if very flat chested and slim, girl. This, of course, had led to an increase in unwanted attention from men, even a few women had felt the need to proposition the girl.

Of course, these seedy individuals did not take Kou’s rejection with grace and it would lead to violence. Kou was admittedly more comfortable with the violence her rejections lead to than even entertaining the thought of sex. Plus, she got to take their money anyway once the girl beat the fools black and blue.

As the teen approached the gate to leave Goa, she heard what sounded like a woman yelling. And it was getting closer.

Turning, ready for a fight, Kou was shocked to see a woman she vaguely recognized approaching. Thin in the way frail and sickly people are prone to, with knotted hair the color of wet soil. The woman may have been beautiful once, but years of malnourishment had drained her. As the woman got closer Kou spotted a toddler clinging to the mother’s side, small and bundled in a way that could not be comfortable in this weather.

“It’s you!” The woman cried once she was within reaching distance, awe, and joy sparkling in her sea-green eyes.

“Do I know you?” Kou was confused, no one beside Makino was ever happy to see her. Especially anyone who recognized her within the wall of Goa.

“You,” the woman was crying as she looked the teen over, “you saved my child!”

“Ah. I’m sorry?”

“No, no, you were the angel I was praying for, and I found you after looking for so long.”

Kou was absolutely baffled. It would be rude to just leave, but the woman was clearly insane if she referred to the teen as an ‘angel’. Looking up at the sky Kou thought for a minute, before shrugging. She had nothing better to do, so humoring the woman couldn’t hurt.

“So you were looking for me this whole time?”

“When I could, yes, I had to thank you!”

“I see… you must be hungry, it is close to dinner time, come with me. I was planning on hunting for dinner and it is no trouble to snag an extra alligator.”

“ALLIGATOR!?”

“Hmm yes, I am thinking of some soup for dinner, if you already have plans though I understand.”

The woman was staring again, but quickly turned her attention to the toddler on her hip when it began to fuss. Kou couldn’t see much of the child, only a peek of white hair and a deeply tan fist. Nodding to herself the teen figured the woman was harmless enough, and the girl missed playing with children. If the woman though her an angel or such rot then hopefully she would have no issue with the girl snuggling the toddler.

“Come along then, or I’ll leave you behind.”

 

* * *

 

 

Ripping into a sizable chunk of alligator tail Kou grumbled happily. She had caught a nice sized gator and was able to find a turtle-snake nest as well. Boiled eggs and organs with grilled rib and tail meat. Not fancy by any means, but filling all the same.

The woman had followed the teen, which surprised the girl. Now seated across from Kou, the low fire casting deep shadows around them, the woman hesitantly ate her second bowl of soup. Kou could admit her ego had been bolstered by the shock and awe on the woman’s face when the small teen dragged a gator longer than she was tall back to the fire. The woman also clutched her child to her side tighter when Kou had efficiently butchered the animal as if the teenager would add the toddler to the pot as well.

A belch ripped out of the black-haired teen as she sat back, belly full enough to have a slight pudge to it. “So…”

“This was a mistake.”

“Yeah, I figured. Shishishi, no one’s ever called me an angel before though, so that was nice of you.”

“No, not that, just, you did this. You brought me food even though you don’t remember me, even though I owe you so much already. And now I am bothering you, wasting your time and kindness.”

“Hey now, I ate most of the food, so don’t think I got that for you.”

“But you don’t remember me, I already said thank you, I have no excuse to waste your time like this.”

“Hmm, well if you let me snuggle your kid for a bit we’ll call it even. You said I save their life, so lemme see the little brat.”

A startled expression crossed the woman’s face with fear flashing in her eyes. She hesitated for so long the Kou was ready to just drop it and move on. As the teen opened her mouth to call it a joke the woman picked up her child and moved to sit next to the small girl.

“His name is Kat,” the woman spoke as she pulled the blanket covering from the child, exposing his face, “and he is half fishman.” The woman looked at Kou with a waiting expression, searching for a reaction.

“Oh my, isn’t he just the cutest little guppy.” Kou cooed at the adorable toddler as she wiggled her fingers in his direction.

The toddler’s face was fairly human in shape, though he seemed to have whisker-like protrusions in place of eyebrows and tiny nubs along his chubby jaw that were sure to grow as he aged. His skin was a lovely sepia color with jewel red stripes streaking from the corners of his eyes and circling the whiskers. The baby had his mother’s ocean-green eyes, which drowsily looked at the fawning teen. Atop his round head was a shock of white baby hair. All together Kat was an adorable child, and what Kou assumed was a perfect combination of his parents.

“You don’t think he’s a monster?” the toddler’s mother, Kit, asked in a wavering voice, clearly having expected a different reaction.

“Ha, I know monsters and this little tadpole is the furthest thing.” Kou continued to coo at the child, who was now watching the teen with more a more alert expression. Kat’s face scrunched up adorably at what Kou assumed was the smell of grilled meat on her fingers. Suddenly his eyes flashed red and he chomped on the teen's fingers with sharp little baby teeth.

Yanking her hand from the toddler’s reach the teen laughed before grabbing a thick bone from the soup pot and popping it into the child’s mouth. “Hungry little boy, isn’t he?”

Kit stared at Kou and clutched the child closer. Sighing deeply, she relaxed when Kou didn’t lash out at the baby and simply continued to fawn and coo over the child.

“You truly are an angel.”

 

* * *

 

 

The door to the Curley Bandit’s house was rudely kicked open by an enthusiastic teenager. Kou was so aggressive in opening the door it bounced off the wall and banged shut on the girls face as she was clearly about to yell something at the collected bandits. Angry shouting could be heard as said girl screamed at the door.

After a solid minute of the barely muffled yelling the door opened much more cautiously. Instead of a red-faced Kourei there stood a tall, dark-skinned woman. The woman held a toddler on her hip and what was clearly Kourei’s basket the teen would take to Goa. The woman bowed as deeply as she could with both arms full and spoke in a soft voice.

“Hello Boss Dadan, I am here to request an audience with you.”

All the bandits present stared at the woman, but their attention turned to Kou as she walked into the house laughing. “You don’t have to be so formal with Dadan, she’s a bandit, not a mob boss or anything.”

“I was only trying to be polite…”

“Don’t worry about it Kit, anyone gives you trouble you tell big sister Kou!”

“I feel I must remind you that I am almost twenty years older than you.”

“Eh schematics,” the teen quickly waved off any objections Kit may have held and turned towards Dadan. The ginger-haired woman was clearly in shock as she still held a large sake cup aloft mid-drink. “Hey Dadan, this is Kit and she is under my protection.”

The bandit boss stared at the teen, watching the brat pick up the toddler that had begun to squirm on what Dadan would assume was the mother’s hip. What was even more shocking was how the normally aloof and distant teen was bouncing the child and blowing raspberries on the toddler’s chubby cheeks. Dogra and Magra, the traitors, were greeting the new woman and welcoming her into the house. Dadan looked down at her half-empty bottle and figured she would need more alcohol to deal with this.

Standing, the bandit woman motioned for Kou to follow her. The teen handed the toddler back to Kit and went to follow the large woman. Dadan waited until the two of them were in the storage cellar before blowing up at the teen.

“Brat, is the kid yours, did you seriously knock someone up already!?”

“What, gross, no Dadan.!”

“Then why the hell did you bring this woman to our hideout?”

“Because I am a kind soul.”

“HA, try the other one brat!”

“If you must know, I may have inadvertently saved Kat and by extension Kit now believes she owes me a life debt.”

“…WHAT!”

“I know, I was shocked as well but I can’t just leave her to rot away in Goa if she truly believes that I somehow saved her child. It is only responsible of me to extend my protection to them.”

Dadan couldn’t handle this, she was far to sober to deal with this situation. Grabbing a random bottle, the woman pulled out the cork and quickly chugged the contents as if her life depended on it. Once the bottle was emptied she wiped her mouth and tossed the bottle aside. Even the sound of the breaking glass did nothing to soothe the bandits rising blood pressure. “Lemme get this straight because you saved her brat she thinks she somehow owes you?”

“Yup.”

“And because you saved the brat you feel like you owe them?”

“It’s a little more complicated than that, but yeah.”

“So you are brought them here to live with us?”

“Exactly.”

Dadan stared at the girl for a solid minute and let out an explosive sigh, reaching for another bottle of wine and grumbling. “I swear you are just like Garp sometimes.”

Kou ignored the clearly stressed bandit and walked over towards the crates of dried and pickled food. Pulling an armload of the foodstuff out the girl turned back towards Dadan and deposited the supplies onto the now sitting woman’s lap. “Now that there are two more mouths to feed I expect we’ll be going through the stored food a little faster.”

“Brat I had to feed both you and Ace through your growth spurts, trust me when I say we have plenty of food.”

“Yes, but I am sure once Kat is on only solids he will plow through food rapidly.”

“Well, then his mom better pull her weight around here to earn the food.”

“Of course Dadan, now let’s go back up and help the two get settled.”

 

* * *

 

 

“Later suckers!” Kou ran quickly from the angry group of men she had pick-pocketed. She knew her fingers were no-where close to being nimble, especially compared to Dogra but what she lacked in subtlety the teen more than made up for in speed and flexibility. It didn’t matter if the mark caught you cutting their purse if you could out-run them, and Kou could most certainly run faster than some overweight men with more coin than sense.

The men were clearly new to the whole pirate thing, especially if they were lingering in the East Blue. Bragging at one of the seedier taverns in Goa, the fools where proud of the gold they had stolen from some passing trade ship. Not that it was hard to attack trade ships in the East, with the reduced Marine presence as compared to the other three Blues and a lack of monsters in the water there was little need for protections on the civilian ships.

Manically laughing with her arms full of money purses and jewelry, Kou enjoyed the feeling of a successful heist. Distracted trying to keep all the treasure in her arms the teen didn’t notice the thick arm that shot out from a shadowed alley until she was already pressed again a towering figure, with a hand covering her mouth. Quickly dropping the valuables Kou grabbed at the arm pinning her, like a band of steel against her chest it was immovable.

“Please don’t scream.” The hoarse voice of her captor asked her before loosening their hold. Adrenaline still pumping through her veins Kou was quick to flip the person over her shoulder. A heavy grunt punched out of the man as he hit the ground, the teen pining his arm to the broad back.

“Who are you and what do ya want?” Kou growled at the now vulnerable man

“Please, I just wanted to talk to you.”

“Well then hurry up and talk.” Now that her blood was cooling Kou looked over the man, except he looked nothing like a human. While his shape was humanoid, his skin was a burnt orange color striped with red. In place of hair, he had whisker protrusions and a flat almost none existent nose. From the grimace on his face, Kou could see sharp serrated teeth poking past the man’s thick lips. The teen recognized the man. “Leonix?”

The man, or more appropriately fishman, looked just as Kit had described him, right down to the extra finger on his hand. This was Kat’s father and Kit’s supposedly dead lover.

“You seem less dead than I recall Kit describing you.”

“Yes, but please understand, I had to fake my death to escape those damn nobles.”

“Hmm, I do understand the need to escape the chains of slavery. Just answer me this.” Kou cracked her knuckles and swiftly punched the fishman in his rather solid gut. As he wheezed at the blow the very angry teen growled at the man. “Why have you not told Kit yet, you absolute bastard of a sea slug!”

Still wheezing the fishman attempted to catch his breath and answer the livid girl, but she would not let up. Kicking at the large man’s ribs Kou began to vent her frustration and anger at how the man had left Kit to defend for herself and protect their hybrid child. Even as she beat the fishman, the teen knew she was behaving horribly but even so, the pain Kit had suffered fueled the flames of her anger. The violence went on for a few solid minutes before Kou exhausted herself and slid down the wall. Both the fishman and the human girl were trembling for very different reasons, one in pain and the other in anger.

“Speak you coward, before I get my energy back.”

Coughing and wheezing pants were the only sound in the alley until the fishman gained his breath and stood, clearly favoring his less beaten left side. “At least I know you can protect my family better than me.”

“So you are leaving them.” It wasn’t a question, and there was no surprise in Kou's voice, only resignation.

“I must, it is not safe here-” Kou was quick to cut off the man in whatever excuse he was attempting to create. “And you cannot take them with you because sailing is just as dangerous, except this is the East Blue and the safest sea in the world.”

“Please understand-“

“No, you understand this, if you leave without them you give up any right to what could have been. Kit is healing finally, now that she is away from this toxic city and has mourned you. Kat is walking now, he said his first word and you missed it because you were hiding like a coward.” Kou was livid with her righteous anger and trembling from withholding the urge to beat the man again. “You can leave, I won’t stop you but know that once you step foot off this island you are a dead man walking. Kit and her child are under my protection and that won’t change, but she will never know of this meeting and if I ever see you again it will be as a stranger.”

Bowing his head in shame, Leonix sighed and felt the tears budding in his eyes. The fishman nodded and looked at the shaking teenager. “I understand.”

“Good,” picking up the dropped gold the girl pushed it at the crying man, “now get the fuck out of my sight.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know Kou seems cruel towards Leonix but she does have a valid reason, not necessarily a good reason, but a valid one. While Kou despises slavery she is also a firm believer that if a person has the power to change what is happening then it is their responsibility to do such. While she supports Leonix's escape and in any other situation would love to talk with him about how he faked his death, she hates him for leaving behind Kit and Kat. This chapter may seem like it happened in a short amount of time, but it actually is over the span of 4 months (2 weeks before Kou's 16th b-day to mid-summer). A lot of time is glossed over but will be discussed next chapter.
> 
> Expect more Kit and Kat in the next chapter as well because I kinda love them as OC's and they are important for Kou's character development.


	11. Persimmon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Changes are made to the very fabric of the world, not that anyone realizes this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: body horror

The sounds of construction could be heard from the garden plot Kou kept near the house. It had taken over a month for all the needed supplies to be gathered but the bandits were finally expanding the hideout. With Kit and her baby moving in, Dadan decided it was time to add new rooms to the hideout and finally attach the bathroom. With the money Kou’s business had brought in the bandits could now have plumbing put in place. Everyone had been ecstatic at the realization that there would be no more out-houses or barrel baths, but an actual tub and flushing toilets.

Kou was a little pissed by the fact that the expansions and construction were being done when she was only going to be in the house for a few more months, but the teen couldn’t begrudge Dadan and Kit the new luxuries. Both women deserved having the simple joy of a functioning bathroom, and while Kou would admit she was funding more than her share of the construction, it definitely wouldn’t be wasted.

Bouncing a giggling Kat in her lap, Kou observed Kit working in the garden. The woman was a natural at tending to the more delicate plants and had a sixth sense when it came to pruning for optimal growth. Kou was content to let Kit take over most of the garden for her personal use, though the teen was very insistent that the woman not attempt handling the more toxic plants; if only because Kou had spent far too long establishing them to risk inexperienced hands.

“The radishes should be ready in a few days I think.” Kit motioned towards the vegetables for Kou to see the white tops peeking out from the soil. “We can pickle most of these, but I think we can make stew out of some of the smaller ones tonight.”

“Sounds good.” Kou leaned back onto the tree behind her, snapping off a small twig and giving it to the toddler in her lap. Kat shoved the green wood into his mouth and began happily chewing. “Should I catch some fish or hunt down some boar for the stew?”

“Boar would be best, could make more food that way.” Humming the dark-skinned woman pulled out the smallest radishes along with a couple potatoes that were ready. Brushing the dirt from her dress she stood and turned to look at the younger two. Spotting the twig in her toddler’s mouth Kit moved to pull back the boy’s lips. “His second row of teeth are coming in! Finally!”

“Wow, really?” Kou bent to look at the toddler’s mouth, surprised there was indeed a visible row of little teeth beginning to breakthrough behind Kat’s milk teeth. “Fascinating, do you think all fishmen have two rows of teeth?”

“I don’t think so, but I really only know what Leonix told me. Besides him, I’ve never met another fishman.”

Kou scowled at the mention of Kit’s lover, but quickly shook off her anger and instead peeked into the basket on the woman’s hip. “Is there any licorice root in there?”

“No, the licorice won’t be ready for harvest for a few months at least.”

“Damn, guess I’ll have to use some of the dried ginger we have then.”

“Hmm, what are you gonna do with it?”

“Well licorice is good for teething, but some ginger will work too.” Laughing lightly Kou pinched Kat’s chubby cheeks as she talked. “Especially since this little guy loves spicy stuff.”

Nodding the woman held out her hand to help Kou stand. Once they were both on their feet Kou put the toddler down and held his hand as he waddled beside the two. Kit was able to walk well but was prone to getting into mischief if no one kept an eye on him, and with all the dangers present in the garden it was best to keep him close.

“It is too bad there is not a lot of information on fishmen.” Kou mentioned as they approached the house. A few bandits were milling around the front, collecting stacks of wood to move around back where all the actual construction was happening.

“True, of course even if there were books on fishmen in the library it would be useless to us.” With the only library in Goa being located in Upper Goa only the nobles had access, and even a former maid of the palace would not have had access to the valuable information stored in the library. “I mean, I can barely read the newspaper most days.” Kit let out a self-deprecating laugh at that as if there was humor to be found in the rampant illiteracy suffered by many in lower and even middle Goa.

“You have gotten a lot better since you started your lessons.”

“You and Magra make great teachers.” Kit smiled at the now blushing teen. The woman didn’t know which deity to thank for the blessing given to her in the form of the girl, but she knew it had to be a divine gift. The strange teen had helped save her baby, given them a home and family, and was even spending the time to teach her how to take over the business the teen had created. If not for Kourei, then Kit was sure she would have lost her baby long ago and would either be dead herself or stuck begging in the Grey Terminal.

Even now she marveled at the strength of the girl, her confidence and ability to be fearless in the face of danger. Kit had watched the petite teen take down bears triple the size of the girl, seen her drag home deadly animals and eat toxic plants without flinching, and even force men who would otherwise terrorize Goa to bow and cower. The girl wasn’t even seventeen and already controlled much of Goa’s underbelly and crime, even the bandits she lived with respected her power and control.

Kit did worry for the girl at times though, the way she would sometime stop and stare off at nothing or freeze in the middle of something. The way Magra had explained it was that the girl would get stuck in memories sometimes or her mind would be working too fast and too hard, so she would just stop. It has scared Kit the first time the girl had been eating and had stopped, frozen with food hanging from her mouth. It had only lasted for a minute before the girl continued chewing. It still startled the woman sometimes, but no one else seemed to react to the girl’s quirk, so she figured it best not to bring it up to Kou.

Putting the basket full of vegetables on the counter, Kit watched as the teen corralled the toddler towards his cot. Once Kat was settled, the girl grabbed a knife from the loft she insisted on sleeping in and went out to hunt down meat for dinner.

The sound of Kou yelling at the men working could be heard from inside the house, and the sounds of construction petered off until it was quiet inside. Soon the men who had been working streamed into the house to wash up and relax after a long day of work.

Smiling to herself Kit washed the vegetables and put a large pot of water over the fire to boil. Even though the bandits could get rowdy, it really was a nice life living with the Curly Bandits. While the men would flirt occasionally, they never over-stepped the lines Kit had established and would always back off when asked. Dadan was very kind in her own way, making room in her hideout for Kit and her child, even offering to watch the toddler so the mother could go spend time alone.

Kit did miss Leonix, but she knew he wouldn’t want her wasting in misery with so much life and happiness around her. Spotting Dogra sitting among the drinking men she waved him over, she hated peeling the potatoes after all.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Humming to herself, Kou began her usual Sunday walked towards Foosha. Now that Kit had taken responsibility for most of the garden and a few bandits had been shown how to properly extract and bottle the by-products of the garden Kou had an influx of free time. Only so much time could be spent plating with Kat, no matter how cute the toddler was. Kou needed to explore and be outside to keep from wasting her days doing nothing.

She also knew that this increased free time couldn’t be spent all in Foosha, partly because the town was far too small to hold any new surprises but also because many of the villagers didn’t trust her. Not that she blamed them, but scaring the villagers lost it draw after the first couple times. The only reasons she even went to Foosha occasionally was to spend time with Makino and buy food from the market stalls. Kou was fairly sure she had helped Chicken and her husband afford the expansion they had made to their house just with the amount she spent on their stall alone.

Even the silversmith Shanks had taken her to years ago had received a few visits. Kourei had plenty of jewelry stolen from people in Goa, but she only wore pieces from Ashby. The silver studs in her ears and the bejeweled bangles around her ankles and wrists had been made by the man. His husband, Ripley, manned the shop while Ashby actually created the pieces they sold. The first time Ashby saw what had happened to Kourei’s necklace he had demanded she let him make her a new chain for the piece. The girl had refused, as the leather cord was far more durable, but had let him make her matching pieces instead, using leather and shells coated in silver to create both simple and ornate pieces. Even now the men and Kou were on friendly terms as she was one of their best customers. The girl had offered to help fund them moving their shop to Middle Goa to widen their customer base but the two were content staying in Foosha.

Thinking of the two men Kou remembered that they had an anniversary coming up soon. Neither man was interested in monetary gifts but they both had been over the moon when Kou had brought extra Hotteok from one of her feasts with Makino. It was one of the few recipes she could make from Before and was an absolute favorite for everyone who tried it. She also knew the men had a nice sized ice box in their house, so if she made a few dozen the two could freeze the extras.

Nodding, Kou began to walk with a skip in her step, happy to have decided on what to do today. As she walked down the mountain path she noticed many of the trees had begun to drop their fruits. She could remember Makino talking about how there was a persimmon orchard in this area, but the fruit had turned out sour so the farmer who had planted all the tree had just left them and decided instead to open the only bar in Foosha. It turned out much more successful than the orchard.

Kou didn’t mind sour fruit and was always hungry, so she picked a few plump looking fruits, their pretty orange color making the teen's mouth water. Biting into the first one the girls face puckered at the astringent flavor, clearly the person who had tried to grow the persimmons had no idea that there were different kinds. Powering through the biting flavor, Kou picked a more rounded fruit and continued eating, feeling out for rounder fruits rather than the more oblong shaped ones. After a dozen persimmons or so Kou felt slightly less hungry and plucked one last fruit.

The moment her teeth broke the skin the flavor of ash and stagnant water arced across Kou’s tongue. So startled by the taste she swallowed the bite sitting in the back of her mouth and stared at whatever had caused such an awful flavor.

The fruit in her hand was shaped like a persimmon and had the same orange color as the other fruits, but in place of smooth skin was a swirling pattern barely discernable. The lines swirling along the fruit were barely raised and the entire form was a uniform color. Curious and taking another bite Kou was startled to see her hand changing. Tree bark was erupting from her flesh, splitting the tan skin and replacing it with a dark red wood, the color of dried blood.

Screaming in shock and fear Kourei dropped the fruit and started to scratch at the growing bark only to notice her other arm was also covered. Her whole body was growing bark, her skin splitting to expose the rough wooden skin. There was an absence of pain, but the lack of sensation at the horrifying sight made the girl even more terrified.

She continued to scream and thrash while the tree and plants around her began swaying and cracking as if stuck in a wind storm. The grass along the path was growing and dying as if seasons were passing in seconds for the plants. As the now bark covered girl continued to scream, vines exploded out of the ground and wrapped around her. Before passing out from the shock, a piercing pain could be felt as patches of thorns erupted from random places where the bark had replaced skin.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Kourei awoke to a dark sky, two of the three visible moons bright and full. It took a handful of seconds for the teen to remember why she had been asleep on the road to Foosha. Shooting up she patted her skin, checking for the bark she knew had to be there. Instead, Kou was met with her regular windburned skin. At first, she thought it had been a lucid nightmare or perhaps a hallucination, but when she looked closely at her hands there was a strange pattern.

Thin lines barely discernable from her tanned complexion crossed and weaved along her skin, in what could be called a bark-like pattern.  Fascinated by the strange pattern the teen traced one of the whorls on her skin, only for bark to raise from the areas her finger touched. Shocked she pulled her hand back and the wooden skin returned to its patternlike state.

Sitting in shock, Kou was startled as grass exploded from the ground around her, causing her rocket up from her seat.

Taking in her surrounding she found a large radius around her position a complete disaster zone. Trees were split in places, with new growth having shot out from the broken wood. Flowers well out of season were in full bloom: irises, wild lilies and rose bushes having sprouted from otherwise bare bushes and what had been hibernating bulbs.

“What the absolute fuck!?”

 

 

* * *

 

 

She absolutely hated the new powers she had gained. Kourei could no longer swim, or even touch the ocean without her limbs losing all strength. Her skin continued to randomly break-out into bark, and even thorns would burst through her skin at random times. She had no control over the powers and wherever the teen walked, grass and flowers sprouted in her wake. It had been nice at first, all the plants in the garden flourished and readily produced fruits, but Kourei was quick to discover that while everyone else got to enjoy the literal fruits of her labors, it all tasted of ash on her tongue and provided neither energy nor filled her stomach.

The teen also discovered that she was quick to tire when there was no sunlight and she was using her powers as if her energy was related to the amount of sun she could absorb. If she placed her feet or hands in healthy soil then it could replace some the need for sunlight temporarily, but the soil would begin to dry out and lose its nutrients. Kou had watched as healthy rich dirt transformed into sandy-clay, all moisture and nutrients sucked out.

Already due to the unstable nature of her new powers, Kou had ripped multiple dresses, shirts, and had destroyed her only pair of shoes. Nobody else on in either Foosha or with the Curley Bandits had any idea on how to control her powers, and honestly, the fact that the teen now had even more strength and unnatural abilities made even Dadan and Makino wary.

The only person who seemed to not care about these new changes was Kit, the woman had only watched as Kou grew a towering tree out of only a seed and promptly shrugged and pushed a fussing Kat into the teen’s arms. Of course, Kou had been curious about why Kit was so nonchalant and the woman had simply replied that she had seen it before.

From what Kit had told the teen, there had been a person living in the palace that could grow plants and flower without soil or water. He had been kept around the palace for years to entertain the prince and royal family but, the man had mysteriously disappeared one day. Kit had no clue what could have happened to the man as shortly after he disappeared she had been fired due to her affair with Leonix.

Kourei knew that her new powers would be useful as a pirate, the ability to grow anything needed to supply a ship, but the drawback of the inability to swim or even sit in water was a dangerous one. Even with the threat of drowning in a shallow puddle, Kou knew she was still going to set sail, if only because she couldn’t stay on Dawn Island much longer. Her seventeenth birthday was fast approaching and if she stayed too long then her grandfather would come a drag her into the Marines. There was no way those government dogs would get their grubby hands on her powers; even if the girl couldn’t control it much she could see ways the Government would use her to tighten their control.

There was no way in hell she would let the Government profit off or her or her powers, and she had a promise to keep with Ace. The girl could just imagine her brother’s reaction to her new powers, first shock that she would get cool new powers while he is stuck a boring powerless human, then the demands she fight him, and finally worshipful awe as she soundly and easily defeats her brother in the duel of a lifetime.

Kourei spent a solid ten minutes in her day-dream of being crowned the most beautiful and strongest sister ever but, was rudely shaken out of said day-dream by an impatient Kat. The toddler was hungry again and now that Kou could grow plants and make fruit at will the boy would come to her all the time demanding treats.

Thoughts of piracy and kingdoms could be done later, for now, she had a cute little guppy demanding attention, and there was no better way to train her powers than by making a lemon tree grow sweet honey apples.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah? Kou has her devil fruit and if anyone can guess which type it is then congrats cause I have no fucking clue, I still haven't even pinned down a name for it yet cause yeah.  
> I wanted to make an interesting power that is both expansive but not op as hell.  
> Also, Kou loves silver, even though gold looks so much better with her skin-tone. Not that it matters aside from aesthetics.
> 
> ...Kou never could make a lemon tree produce apples because she can bend nature to her will, not break the very laws of nature. unlike everyone else in one piece lol.


	12. Strawberry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The start of a new adventure, or how Coby resigned himself to being fate's punching bag and constantly controlled by scary women.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: blatant misgendering, canon violence

It was dark and cramped. Kou awoke to an uncomfortable pinching in her back that reminded the girl of her predicament. Trapped in a barrel.

It had all been going so well on her first week of sailing. Everyone had come to say their goodbyes, wishing Kourei good luck and giving her gifts to commemorate the occasion. Makino had made sure to pack a few crates full of non-perishable items to last the girl until the next island and with the help of Chicken made a large jar of the girl’s favorite spicy paste. The bandits had pitched in to make sure the girl had plenty of dresses and shirts to last her, especially since she was still prone to having thorns appear and ruin her clothing when startled. Magra and Dogra had been there to see the girl off but Dadan had been conspicuously absent, the men weighing the teen’s boat down with bottles of beer and sake. The two had shared a knowing look when the girl had asked on Dadan’s whereabouts but had told her the alcohol was a gift from the bandit woman.

Kou’s favorite gift was from Kit and by extension Kat, a gorgeous pair of hair combs made of silver dipped flowers from their garden. Beautiful tea roses, snowdrops, and forget-me-nots twined around sturdy combs that Kou could use to keep her short hair back and out of the way.

Kit had been shocked at the girl’s new hair length, the teen having lopped off a good foot of dark hair into a choppy bob. When Kou had explained that long hair was a danger on a ship Kit had been understanding but had noticed that the girl struggled to tame the hair that was now no longer weighted down. The combs were both practical and beautiful gifts.

The sky had been clear, the water calm, and wind favoring a strong western breeze. It was the perfect day to set sail, and Kou refused to waste her head-start against Garp. Waving at the friends and family on the shore Kou pushed off and began her adventure.

Except of course the Lord of the Coast was hungry and waiting for anyone foolish enough to sail past the fishing shallow, starved from having awoken from its hibernation. The waves created from the creature breaching the surface shook Kou’s small boat, the teen struggled to maintain her footing on the deck. Looking at the looming sea creature with razor teeth and gleaming red eyes, Kou quickly became frustrated as she was unable to gain a stable foothold on the slippery deck. In her frustration, the girl had broken out into thorns and fell forward. A large tree exploded out of the ship and hit the creature in the face as it had lunged for the boat, the tree snapping off into the giant eel’s mouth. The Lord of the Coast’s mouth became stuck with the giant tree trapped between its jaws and the creatures thrashing created waves large enough to have capsized Kou’s boat.

The girl’s luck had held out and her boat didn’t flip, but instead was sent flying by a thrashing tail. The boat had skipped along the water like a pebble across a lake, jostling and bouncing the girl and the barrel tied to the deck. Kou had smacked her head across the deck and blacked out, only gaining conscious well after the sun had set and she was miles from Dawn Island.

Aside from that unpleasant surprise at the start, Kou’s first week was calm and pleasant, the sun a constant friend and tanning the girl's skin, making the pales lines on her skin glow silver. With the vast ocean on all sides, Kou spent much of her days napping or writing her observations of the visible sea life. The teen had watched a pod of dolphins chase a school of silver fish across the surface until the fish had sprung from the water and glided away from the danger. Sea turtles floated alongside her boat, the green and browns of their shells forming beautiful patterns in the water. She had even spotted the shadows of larger sea creatures deep below the surface but was unable and unwilling to risk her safety just to discover what exactly the creatures were.

This calm sailing was not meant the last though, as Kou was quick to find out. The first island she had landed on was no better than a spit of land with no civilization in site and barely any wildlife in the sparse forest bordering half the island. Kou had been lucky there had even been a stream she used to refill her depleted water supply. The girl had been unable to find much in the way of edible plants though, and all the animals on the island were far too small to be worth capturing. It simply meant the girl had to go on half rations until the next island, which would have worked if not for the field of whirlpools that cropped up after she left the island.

Kou knew that there was no way she could navigate the foaming waters and her boat was swiftly pulled into the currents. With no escape possible and the knowledge that the water would sap her strength, pulling her under in a slow death, Kou had stuffed herself into a mostly empty barrel. With the lid firmly in place and the sound of cracking wood and rushing water around her, the teen closed her eyes and had prayed for the best.

Now she was here, stuck in said barrel after having fallen asleep to the rocking of the waves. Her hips and knees felt cramped and she knew after having no sun or even moonlight for who knows how long her skin felt dry and stretched across hollow bones.

The barrel was moving. That is what woke her up, the damn barrel was rolling, and someone had to be pushing it. Flexing her muscles, Kou coiled like a spring ready to explode out of the barrel, except the barrel was turned upside down and she fell onto her head and shoulders.

“FUCK!” Pain rocketed through her back and head, Kou kicked her feet in reaction, breaking what was originally the bottom side of the barrel. The teen felt her feet hit something solid as she thrashed around. Tipping the barrel over so she was standing and flexing her arms the girl broke the barrel.

Looking around Kou noticed multiple things at once: one she was in a wooded area so that meant she was on land, two there was an unconscious boy splayed across the ground with a foot-shaped print on his face, and finally she needed food in her belly ASAP.

Kicking off her one sandal that survived the trip, Kou burying both her feet into the ground and stared at the unconscious boy. With no food nearby the next best thing was to absorb energy from the sun and nutrients from the dirt. Looking at the boy she noted the coke bottle glasses sitting askew his face and an awful haircut that did his lovely pink hair no justice. In a few years he would probably grow into those tragic ears and lose the puppy fat clinging to his cheeks and chin, but until then he was stuck in the awkward throes of adolescence.

Poking at his cheeks, Kou sighed when the boy barely stirred. She was completely lost, no clue where she ended up and the boy would hopefully have some answer when he regained consciousness.

Laying across the ground the girl sighed and closed her eyes to rest for a little while, hopefully, she would feel more energized after a cat-nap in the sun.

 

* * *

 

Coby awoke with a start, his face throbbing as if he had been hit with Alvida’s mace. Except he wasn’t dead, so it couldn’t be that. Alvida's spiked iron mace would have killed him instantly. Sitting up Coby looked around and spotted what was left of the barrel he had rolled out here. Broken pieces of wood strewn about the clearing and the iron bands that had wrapped around the once barrel split and flung about.

And there, laying on the ground half buried under fresh grass and vines was a girl sleeping. At least Coby is pretty sure it is a girl, as the person was wearing a dress with shorts underneath. Their face was turned away from Coby, but from what he can see they looked rather androgynous and they could maybe be a girl or a boy. The person was wearing a lot of jewelry though, so Coby decided that they had to be a girl.

Suddenly the realization hit Coby, there was a sleeping girl next to him, a girl that had apparently appeared out of the barrel he had sneaked away from Alvida’s ship. Alvida’s ship, captained by a horribly cruel woman and by men so abused and cowed that they would blame Coby for anything to get out of trouble. Coby, who found a strange girl in a barrel he took from the ship. These thoughts circled around in the boy’s head, stuck in a tailspin.

This is what Kou saw when she opened her eyes: a pale, panicking boy silently screaming into the abyss.

“Hey, are you ok?” The girl moved to sit up, shaking the grass and leaves from her hair and patting the dirt off her dress.

Coby stopped his internal panic as he finally had a good look at the girl but began to panic anew when he saw the thick scar cutting from the corner of her mouth to her heavily pierced ear. She was staring at him, waiting for an answer that he was unable to give, tongue-tied with panic and fear.

Kou waited for another minute for the boy to reply, but she became bored with his silence and unearthed her feet to stand up. Looking down at the pink haired boy she snapped her fingers at him as she bent into his space. “Hey, you know where I can get food?”

Blinking Coby looked up the girl now invading his personal space and crawled backward and stuttering out a reply. “N-n-no I mean yes, th-the ship ha-has food.”

“Huh a ship,” stretching up and cracking her back and neck, Kou reached down to pick up the boy by the back of his shirt and set him on his feet. “You a sailor pinky, look a little young to me”

“H-HEY! I’m fourteen!”

“Ha, just a kid.”

“I’m not a kid!” Coby yelled at the older teen in frustration, forgetting his fear temporarily at being called a child.

“Well then big man, lead the way, I’m starved.”

Coby realized he was trapped. He could take this strange, dangerous looking teen to Alvida’s ship and face punishment from the captain, or he could try to leave the girl here and possibly have to fight her. Coby knew he wouldn’t win against the older teen seeing as she had just picked him up like an unruly pup.

“Ah, b-but Alvida is the captain a-and she won’t like me t-taking you to the ship.”

“Cool, a female captain, I wanna meet her!” Kou clapped her hands and gave a little bounce at the thought of a woman captaining a pirate ship.

Coby was doomed, he felt his spirit leave his body as the girl began to drag him towards the docked ship. She was sniffing at the air like an animal, drool beginning to pool out of her mouth. The crew must have started cooking the evening meal, and if the girl could smell it all the way out here she must be a monster. Maybe she was some sea witch and could beat Alvida, or maybe she was just sent to further Coby’s suffering.

The girl dragged Coby to the ship and both teens spotted the crew sitting around a large bonfire in front of the base. While Kou’s face lit up with joy at the thought of food and meeting another pirate crew already, Coby felt his face fall into resigned panic once Alvida spotted them.

“COBY!” The large woman stood to her full height and began to stomp her way over, mace threateningly sitting over her shoulder. “Where have you been, I told you to get my wine an hour ago!”

“I am sorry Madam Alvida.” Coby began to cower and grovel, or he attempted to but the grip the strange teen had on his arm did not let up, leaving him dangling uselessly.

Looking between the cowering boy and the angry woman, Kou began to pull Coby back to stand behind her. “Hey Alvida, sorry ‘bout keeping Coby so long, but you know how boys get when they meet a pretty girl. I’m sure you understand.” Laughing to defuse the situation Kou made sure the young boy was fully behind her and braced for any impacts that might come, that mace had to be more than just for show after all.

“HA, the only pretty woman here is me, isn’t that right Coby?” A mean smile snaked across the woman’s freckled face as she looked Kou up and down, “After all who would want such an ugly girl, with a ruined face and flat as a board, you look more like a boy in a hideous dress than any girl I’ve seen.”

Kou’s expression froze, the grin she had previously been wearing slipping off her face like water to oil and a flinty light entered her eyes. Tightening her grip on the boy at her back, Kou stopped him from attempting to prostrate himself at the larger woman’s feet. “Excuse me?” She asked in a cold voice, freezing Coby as his hindbrain recognized the sound of a true predator.

“You heard me, boy, you aren’t fooling anyone with that get-up, now move aside before I make you!” Alvida either didn’t realize she was in the presence of a truly dangerous person or simply ignored the warning signs as she took a threatening step forward with her mace raised.

“What a pity.” Kou sighed without remorse and flicked her wrist in a dismissive motion. Nothing seemed to happen for a few seconds, and Alvida began to laugh but was quickly sent flying by the tree that exploded from the ground out of nowhere. The large woman disappeared into the horizon and a distant splash could be heard. Looking at the rest of the crew who was gaping in shock the teen rolled her shoulder. “Anyone else have something to say?”

Rapidly shaking heads were the only reply Kou received. Nodding to herself the teen turned to look at the cowering boy behind her. “You know anything ‘bout sailing?” She asked apropos nothing. The pink head bobbed in affirmative and Kou smiled “Good because I know nothing ‘bout it. Now come on let’s get some grub and get going.”

Coby quickly resigned himself to being dragged around by the strange girl, as he knew he couldn’t stay with the Alvida pirates now and was far too weak to sail on his own. It was just like his mother used to say, ‘by swimming from the shark, he went into the mouth of a Sea King.’

 

* * *

 

 

“So we were never formally introduced,” Kou commented as she leaned back against the barrel on the deck of Coby’s small boat.

“Ah, Uhm, M-my name is Coby, but you knew that.”

“Well yeah, I meant who are you.”

“I’m Coby.”

“No that’s just your name.” Picking at her nose the girl turned to look at the nervous boy. “Who _are_ you?”

“I-I don’t understand.”

“It’s ok, most people don’t know who they are either.” Returning to her relaxed position she continued. “But just so you know I’m Kourei, and I’m gonna be King of the Pirates!” Punching at the sky at her proclamation, the girl let out a laugh as the boy behind her spluttered and began to stammer out objections at her. This really was a good week so far.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What is this, two chapters in one week? Don't get too used to this, I just felt inspired and wrote this shorter chapter.
> 
> (The fact that I thought to have Kou sail out a month earlier than Canon has died a swift death as I write this story. As such I'm just gonna pretend I know what I am doing an ignore plot holes because I am a lazy writer.)
> 
> Kou hates three things: the government, slavery, and being rudely misgendered. casual or accidental misgendering she can forgive, but Alvida was just rude and Kou is a firm believer or "talk shit, get hit"
> 
> Next chapter will hopefully be longer and will have some good old Zoro in it so keep an eye out for that!


	13. Clover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enter Zoro, and be upstaged by Kou being a bad bitch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: canon violence, implied misgendering, implied transphobia.
> 
> Note: The use of the word Okama is improper for the context, but I as the author felt uncomfortable using the tr***y word or other similar transphobic slurs, so I used Okama as a substitute. I understand that in Japan the term has a much different meaning than what I am using it as, and is more closely related to the term Drag Queen, but again, it is my choice as the author to use it as a substitute for other words I would rather not put in my story.

“AHHH, I’m so bored Coby.” Kou threw her twentieth failed attempt at making grass sandals over the side of the boat. Bending back, she stared at the boy upside down.

“Please don’t do that Kourei, it is very unnerving.” Coby continued to row the boat, avoiding looking at the girl practically bent in half. “You can help row the boat if you are so bored.”

“Pfft” Kou blew a raspberry at the boy, “Would you make a poor, delicate flower like me row in this blazing sun?”

Coby looked up at the overcast sky, and back at the girl. Muttering to himself he began to row more aggressively. “Delicate flower my ass.”

“Haah, what was that Coby-boy?”

“Nothing Kourei, we should make it to Yotsuba island today.”

“The one with the Marine base?”

“Y-yes.” Coby became nervous as the girl peeked open one of her eyes and stared at him.

“You gonna turn me into the Marines? They’d probably let you sign right up as a recruit for catching me before I became famous.”

“N-NO, I would never do that!” Coby began to sweat in fear of what the strange teen might do to him if she thought he was a threat.

“Shishishi, I’m joking Coby-boy. Without a bounty, the Marines couldn’t care less about me!” Kou flopped backward, stretching out on the small boat and bumping her head against the boy’s shins.

Relief washed through the smaller teen before he perked up again. “How do you know so much about Marines anyway? You knew there was a base on Yotsuba before I told you, and you even explained the ranking system and how I should sign-up.”

“Wellllll,” she was picking her nose again, “My grandpa is a Marine, last I heard he is a Vice-Admiral or something. Always wanted me to join the Marines, talked for hours about how he planned on training me to become a fleet admiral by twenty.”

“V-V-VICE ADMIRAL! FLEET ADMIRAL?!”

“Yeah, grandpa has some unrealistic standards, he threw me in a lake full of alligators once for ‘training’. I think I was five or was I seven? It was all pretty fun anyways, got to eat grilled gator for days after!”

Coby was feeling faint; the blood left his face and his hands shaky. “I think I need to lie down.” He promptly fainted.

“Shit!” Kou stopped the boy from braining himself on the boat and moved him to lie against a barrel. Looking at the passed-out teen, Kou sighed and took up the oars, muttering all the while. “… lucky you're cute… feed you to a shark… working me to the bone”

The grumbling teen continued to row in what she assumed was the correct direction, arms and shoulders flexing as she rowed much faster than Coby had been able to. The younger teen had been correct in his prediction though, and just had he began to stir into consciousness the dock for Shells Town became visible over the horizon.

The pink haired boy stared at the sky for a minute or two after gaining consciousness, feeling the boat swaying with the waves and listening to the sound of steady rowing. Sitting up slowly, he looked blearily at Kourei as she smiled at him. Coby looked at the deceptively open face of the girl, at her flexing shoulders and arms, and at the water as she cut through it with the oars. It took a minute for his brain to process but once the information had settled the teen snapped.

“YOU COULD HAVE BEEN HELPING THIS WHOLE TIME!?”

“Well duh, I’m not just a pretty face ya know. Now sit down before you tip the boat over, we’re almost to the dock.”

Coby speechlessly crumpled to his knees, putting his head in his hands in despair and crying tears or mental agony. “A demon, a literal demon…”

“Pshaw, I’ve been called worse.” Kou focused on bringing the boat to one of the lower docking points but was still able to kick out at the agonizing teen.

Once safely dock, Kou stood and kicked out at the younger boy again, without hitting him and simply causing him to flinch back and fall off the boat. Laughing as the boy flailed and dragged his soaking body onto the dock, Kou waited for the boy to get all his anger out of his system. He glared and grumbled and yelled sometimes but was still far too timid, never even attempting to raise his fist to defend himself. Kou knew if Coby wanted to make it in the Marines he’d have to grow a spine and learn to throw a punch.

Pinching his ear between her fingers, Kou began to drag the soaked boy into town. Coby flailed and yelled, but obediently followed.

Bare feet slapping on the cobbled street, the girl looked around the market stalls. There was a plethora of food stalls and even a few common good vendors, but no shoe or clothing stalls.

Releasing the whining boy's ear, Kou walked over to one of the food stalls. Picking up the ripe fruit she tossed the vendor a 50 Beli coin and took a bite. Juicy and tart, the pear was altogether refreshing after three days of smoked meat and stale apples. Wiping her mouth Kou turned to the female vendor and questioned if there were any clothing shops nearby.

She was pointed in the direction of the only clothing store in town, located next to a popular restaurant.

“Hey Coby-boy, what do you think of these.” Kou showed off the gaudiest pair of sandals, leather painted gold and pearls strung across the feet straps. Bells and little shells clinking with every step.

“Very… you?”

“HA, ya think so?” Turning towards the waiting shopkeeper Kou held up the shoes. “How much are these ones?”

“12,200 Beli.” The shopkeeper smiled as he nodded at the sandals, “Very becoming for any young lady.”

Kou let out a whistle at the price but still dug out her coin purse. Looking in the leather bag the girl let out a tragic sigh as she found only a few coins and a single crumpled bill. Putting the shoes back she picked up a pair of plain straw sandals, the attached tag reading 500.

Walking out of the store in her new flip-flops Kou let out another sigh as she headed in the direction of the restaurant next door. Two snarling, stone foo-dogs stood just at the entrance of the eatery. Coby still trailing behind the girl went to hold the door open for the clearly pouting teen.

“It’s okay Kourei, those shoes wouldn’t have lasted very long on the sea anyway.” The boy attempted to cheer up the girl as they were seated at the bar. The restaurant was oddly empty for what should have clearly been a lunch rush, but Coby was more focused on keeping the scary girl happy.

“But they were so cute…” Kou sipped at the tankard of water placed in front of her and looked over the board that read the daily special. Only the grilled fish and rice was in her budget, especially with how much the girl knew she could eat. Ordering a plate for Coby and five grilled herring for herself the girl continued pouting. Chewing on her chopsticks she traced the wood grain of the bar, little sprouts pushing past the lacquer at Kou’s mindless use of her power.

A large plate of grilled fish was put in front of Kou and she shook off her melancholy to dig into the meal. As she popped one of the fish in her mouth the door to the restaurant was kicked open, making her choke on the herring. The only sounds in the restaurant were Kou’s coughing and a rumbling growl. Swallowing the fish, bones and all, the teen turned to look at the door.

Standing there was a pompous looking man, blonde hair parted into a severe bowl cut. Standing behind him were two marines and a growling, rabid-looking wolf prowled ahead of the foppish man. The man laughed as he walked into the restaurant as if he owned it.

“Still open I see,” Kicking his feet onto a table as he sat the man let his pet roam the restaurant, eating from people’s plates and growling, “Where’s the wine, poor service means I tell dad.”

The waitress rushed to fill a glass for the man as his mutt prowled towards Kou. The teen stared at the wolf as it approached, chewing on another fish. As the foaming hound prepared to pounce Kou let out a sharp bark at the creature, followed by a deep rumbling growl. Her eyes sharped, as the pale silver lines on her skin, became more pronounced.

All the patrons stopped to stare at the strange girl who was growling at Helmeppo’s wolf, and many watched in awe as the vicious creature back-down, the growling teen returning to her meal and her clearly shocked companion.

Helmeppo watched as his pet crawled back to hide behind his chair, tail tucked between its legs. Staring at the girl who was happily chewing her food, Helmeppo stood and stomped over to her.

“What did you do to my darling pet!? Tell me before I tell my dad! He is the great Captain Morgan you know, that makes me, Helmeppo his son, great as well!”

The black-haired girl turned to look at the blonde, slowly chewing and then making a loud gulping swallow. “Who the fuck is Captain Morgan? Never heard of him.”

“What did you say you Okama bitch?”

Coby felt cold sweats break out on his neck as the blonde man rudely yelled at Kourei. Turning away from what he knew was going be a gruesome confrontation, the young boy busied himself with finishing his food. He still flinched at the sound of skin against skin and the cracking of what he prayed was only the blonde jaw and not something more permanent.

Scuffling and whimpering cries followed another resounding punch, and then the sound of the door slamming open and shut ended the very one-sided confrontation.

Looking up from his plate Coby noted how there was now a broken table and the dog was still inside, cowering in the corner. The other patrons were staring at Kou in a mixture of horror and awe.

Kourei shook out her wrist and then took in the damage to the restaurant. “Sorry ‘bout that,” the girl turned to the owner who was clutching at a young child. “I can’t pay for the damages, but I’ll get you a new table if you want.”

The brunette woman shook her head rapidly and began to shake. “Please just get out, Helmeppo is already upset, but you just made it worse!” She hugged her child closer, covering the small girls head with her hand as she pointed to the door. “Out you demon!”

Shrugging Kourei placed her only paper bill on the table and headed towards the exit. Grabbing the cowering wolf by its scruff on her way out, she called out to Coby. “C’mon slow-poke, let’s cook up some dinner.”

The sound of whimpering and Coby’s attempts to get the girl to explain followed the two out, leaving a silent restaurant in their wake.

 

* * *

 

Picking at the meat between her teeth, Kou rolled over and patted at her full belly. Coby really wasn’t a half-bad fisherman and caught more than enough the feed the two of them plus the damn dog. Looking at the now sated mutt she let out a chuckle, honestly, the creature was such a sweet thing once it was full. That stupid Helmeppo hadn’t been feeding the wolf enough food, poor thing had been half-starved and all the more vicious for it. It had been strange to hear the muffled chant of ‘food-food-food-food’ at the restaurant, but Kou shrugged it off as her womanly instinct to nurture.

“Burp- good job today Coby with the fishing.” Kou rolled her head to look at the other teen who was lying next to the fire as well. “Tomorrow we’ll go to the base and get you signed up!”

“I dunno Kourei, if that Helmeppo guy is the son of the captain then maybe the marines here aren’t very nice.”

“Coby-boy, they’re marines, none of them are ‘nice’.” Laughing as she scratches behind the dog's ears the teen continued. “Marines are the government’s attack dogs first and foremost, anything else they do is purely a personal choice.”

“You don’t mean that Kourei, you said your Grandfather is a marine.”

“Yup, and if the government told him to have me executed he would do it too!”

Coby sat up as stared at the girl, she was looking away from him still petting the dog next to her. “But you said he loves you- “

“And he does, just as I love him, but that is the thing.” She turned to look at him, her eyes suspiciously wet. “He loves what the marines symbolize more than any familial connection we have.”

“You don’t believe that…”

“Hmmph.” Turning her back to the pink-haired boy Kou ignored him for the rest of the night. Coby was afraid he had upset the temperamental girl and slept fitfully. When he awoke from his less than restful sleep it was to a wolf panting and slobbering on his face.

Shrieking Coby crawled back from the animal. Looking around the camp he could not see Kourei anywhere. Did she leave him here alone with the vicious half-tamed wolf?! Did she want him to die!?

The wolf, now named Sabi after a night of snuggling Kou, simply sat on its haunches and stared hungrily at the panicking boy. His new master said no eating the pink one, but he was getting so hungry and his master wasn’t here. Preparing to lunge at the prey human, Sabi was caught by a rough hand picking him up by the scruff. New master shook him like a misbehaving pup and growled reprimands before dropping him. Cowed, the wolf curled up and simply stared at the prey boy.

“Got us breakfast!” Kou held up a couple rabbits, a cheeky smile on her face. “I see you and Sabi were getting along nicely.”

“That thing was gonna eat me!” Coby shrieked at the older teen, pointing a shaking finger at the wolf. The wolf, in turn, stared at the boy and licked at its chops.

“Nonsense, now get the fire going, we gotta eat fast.”

Coby looked at the girl dubiously but did as told. “What’s the rush?”

“Apparently that idiot from yesterday told his daddy about me, and surprise, they might want to arrest me.”

Coby felt a headache building behind his eyes. “And what are you going to do.” He was afraid of her answer but knew it was better to be prepared.

“Well, I thought I might go say ‘hi’ to daddy dearest and tell him to kiss my ass.” Kou flicked out a small knife and began skinning the rabbits, emphasizing her statement by throwing the organ meat to the wolf.

Coby felt himself breaking out in cold sweats again. “Please tell me you’re joking… never mind, I know you’re being serious…” He could feel the blackness encroaching in his vision, but if he passed out Kourei might let the wolf eat him. Shaking out the fear, Coby only felt a building apathy to the disaster that was the older teen.

“I heard that apparently, they arrested a bounty hunter like two weeks ago,” Kou pulled some vegetables and eggs from the large linen bag at her side, “Ronanora or something, apparently he was dumb enough to agree to a month of crucifixion to protect that family from the restaurant.”

“YOU WENT INTO TOWN?!”

“Psh, only the outer market, apparently Helmeppo doesn’t go too far from the base, and his dad doesn’t even leave the gates of the base.” Tossing the skinned rabbits to the boy, he fumbled to catch them, Kou moved on to skinning a few potatoes. “I wanna see this bounty hunter guy, apparently he is a big deal in the East Blue.”

“Wait… do you mean Roronoa Zoro? The Demon Swordsman of the East Blue?”

“Yeah that was his name, wanna go see him?” Kou looked at Coby with glittering eyes full of mischief.

“What are you planning…” Even past his growing apathy, he could feel a nervous warning tension.

“Nothing…” Kou looked anywhere but at Coby.

“You are a terrible liar, you know that right?”

“…” She ignored the boy and pretended to be deeply interested in peeling and cutting the potatoes.

“Just tell me you aren’t planning to break him out”

“…”

“Please say you won’t do it.”

“I won’t do it.”

“I do not believe you in the slightest.”

“Whatever,” Kou shrugged and handed the boy the now cut potatoes that he added to the small cast iron. “So… you in?”

“Do I have a choice?” Coby had already resigned himself to the insanity that this girl was slowly dragging him into.

“Yeah, you could stay here and watch Sabi.” At that, the wolf growled and looked at the boy, snot still covered in rabbit gore.

“Let’s go break out Roronoa!”

 

 

Standing on the tree Kou had grown to allow them a view into the courtyard, Coby noted how Roronoa didn’t look very intimidating when tied to a stake in the training yard.

“You sure that is Roronoa Zoro?” Coby pointed at the tied man. “He doesn’t look very much like a demon, or even a good bounty hunter if the Marines arrested him.”

“We could always ask-” her reply was interrupted as a ladder hit the wall next to the duo and the young girl from the restaurant climbed up. She looked at the teens and made a shushing motion and tossed a rope over the other side. Shimmying down the rope the girl jogged over to the tied-up man. She looked to be offering him food but was caught by Helmeppo as the spoiled man entered the courtyard.

Suddenly one of the marines threw the girl over the wall. Reacting quickly Kou jumped off the wall to catch the girl, rolling as they hit the ground to absorb the shock and prevent the younger girl from getting injured.

Coby ran over to the girls, fussing over the younger girl as she was pushed into his arms. He turned to watch Kou climb the tree and hop over the wall. Knowing there was nothing he could do in the courtyard he turned back to the crying girl and went to walk her back to the restaurant.

Kou stared at the tied-up swordsman and scoffed. “I was gonna offer to let you join my crew, but I think the moment I untie those ropes you’re gonna pass out.”

Zoro glared up at the girl, “I have more spirit than that, this is nothing. And I would never join a pirate.”

“Who said I was a pirate?”

“Clearly, you’re not a marine, what else could you be,” Zoro responded in a clearly rhetorical tone.

“Whatever.” Kou waved her hands in a dismissive motion, moving to turn and walk away.

“Wait.”

The teen looked over her shoulder. “What?”

“That rice ball, give it to me.”

“This,” Kou pointed at the dirty, crushed rice with the toe of her sandal. “It’s more dirt than rice by now.”

“I said give it to me.”

“Fine whatever.” Kou picked up the gross rice and held it for the man to eat. As he began coughing at the mixture of sugary rice and courtyard dirt, Kou sighed a resigned “Men” at him and pulled an apple from her bag. “Here, eat this, you stubborn fool.”

The swordsman hesitated but opened his mouth and quickly devoured the apple, core and all. Once he was done he moved to wipe the juice from his mouth, but the girl was quicker and used her thumb to wipe his chin. Popping her thumb in her mouth she made a face at the taste, sweet apple juice mixed with the taste of weeks old blood, sweat, and dirt.

Turning, Kourei walked away while waving at the gaping man. “See ya later Ronono.”

Zoro watched as a tree grew from under the girl’s feet, lifting her over the wall. A sharp zap of some unnameable emotion shocked the man, both at the display of unknown power and the casual dismissal he had received from the girl. Licking his lips, the man could taste clove and herbal spice under what remained of dirt and apple in his mouth.

“Heh,” The swordsman let his head fall back as he looked up at the clear sky, “what an interesting person.”

  

 

* * *

 

“He really ate it all? Did he like it?” The little girl, Rika as she introduced herself, asked excitedly. Her mother, Ririka was watching as her daughter talked to the troublemakers from before with a sharp gaze.

“Yup,” Kou smiled as she ate another sweet rice ball the girl had made as thanks. The sugary flavor would have been completely overwhelming if not for the sour plums Coby had passed to her on the sly. “Said they were the ‘best rice balls ever’.”

Coby was giving the teen a knowing look but, said nothing as Rika happily continued forming progressively less misshapen rice.

Kourei for her part was just happy to be filling her belly and if she happened to make the little girl feel better, well that is just a pleasant surprise.

The restaurant was peaceful, the sounds of cheerful conversation, the scraping of silverware and Rika’s happy humming. This enjoyable atmosphere was interrupted as two marine officers walked into the establishment.

“We are here to arrest Rika for aiding the prisoner Roronoa Zoro by order of Captain Morgan.” The two officers looked uncomfortable with their orders but were still under the command of the corrupt captain and couldn’t fight the man.

Rika began crying as she ran to her mother, the older woman also beginning to sob and clutch at her child. Coby stood to try and protect the family, but Kou was quicker and threw herself at the men. A flying kick hit one of the marines and knocked him out cold, sending him skidding backward as Kou barely touched the ground before turning around and hooking her arm around the still standing man. Putting the man into a headlock, the teen pinned him to the ground, grinding her knee into his back as she pulled him into a crescent shape.

“You wanna run that by me again mister?” A vicious snarl cut across the scared face, twisting Kou’s expression into a demonic one. The only reply the girl received was wheezing coughs from the pinned marine and Coby’s attempts to placate her.

“Kourei, please let him go, he is turning purple!” Coby was far too kind, but Kou sighed and let the marine’s neck go, still pinning his legs and back with her knees. The marine gave a handful of heaving coughs before he was able to speak in a hoarse voice.

“It-it is the captain’s orders.”

“Hmmp, well I guess I have to talk this captain of yours. Coby, can you keep an eye on the trash here, don’t want to ruin our surprise for dear captain Morgan.” Standing the girl gave a vicious chop to the marine’s neck, making him lose consciousness. Looking around the restaurant at the cowering and fearful patrons she sighed and turned, leaving the building. She already knew she was never going to be welcomed back.

Coby looked around at the people in the restaurant, and then down at the unconscious marine. Bending down, the boy threw the larger man’s arms over his shoulders and attempted to drag the dead weight over towards the bar. Once the marine was comfortably leaning on the bar, Coby turned to look at Rika and her mother. The older woman was glaring daggers at the boy, but Rika was already attempted to extract herself from her mother’s arms and approach the boy.

“I’m sorry for Kourei, she is… well, she’s Kourei. Thank you for your hospitality, but I should probably make sure she doesn’t hurt anyone else.”

“Wait.” Rika stopped the boy by tugging at his shirt. “Will the marines be okay? Captain Morgan is a bad man, but the other Marines are really nice.”

“I… I don’t know. B-but I will s-stop her if-if she tries to hurt anyone else!”

 

* * *

 

Lifting herself over the wall, Kourei landed solidly on her feet. Jogging over to the limp swordsman, she began to untie his bindings.

“What are you doing idiot woman, I said leave me alone.”

“The only idiot here is you, I don’t care what you do once I untie you, I just need you out of the way.” Pulling out her small knife she made quick work of cutting through the ropes.

Zoro’s now free hand shot out, grabbing the girl’s wrist before she could cut the other ropes. “I said go away.”

“They were going to arrest her.”

“What?”

“The little girl, the one you have been starving away in the sun for, they were going to arrest her for feeding you.”

“…” Zoro continued to stare in confusion.

“I bet they were probably going to execute you too, use it as an example or whatever. I don’t really care if you believe me, but-” the girl was interrupted as Coby fell over the wall she had just come over.

“Kourei, please don’t kill Zoro!”

“Haah?” Looking at the young boy then at the still tied up man the girl let out a laugh. “Stupid Coby-boy, I am getting him out. The less collateral the better, yeah?”

Coby stood there, staring at the insane woman. Even more shocking was when Zoro threw his head back and laughed. “Demoted to collateral huh?” The man continued to chuckle as he took the knife from the girl’s hand and freed himself. Once free from the ropes he stood unsteadily, stretching out the kinks from his neck and shoulders. “You there,” pointing at a shaking Coby the man motioned at the marine building, “I need my swords, they should be in there.”

“You mean these.” A new voice interrupted the trio. There standing the courtyard was a tall man, buzz-cut blonde hair and an ax in place of a hand. He was surrounded by marine troops, holding rifles ready to fire at the trio. “Dead men have no need for weapons!” The man yelled at Zoro and tossed the swords aside.

“Shit.” Zoro looked at the fallen swords as Coby began to sweat bullets. They were dead, going to be executed like criminals by a corrupt Captain.

“Ready, aim, FIRE!”

Coby and Zoro braced themselves for their oncoming death and were unable to hear Kou over the sound of the gunfire.

Ducking, Kou punched her hand into the ground, and as she pulled her hands and arms up a wall of thick bamboo shot out of the hard-packed dirt, creating a barrier between the trio and the bullets. As the sound of gunfire stopped the bamboo rotted away, wilting and decomposing within seconds.

Everyone in the courtyard stared at the kneeling girl, the pales lines on her skin glowing and splitting apart into sections and chunks to reveal blood-red bark. Long thorns erupted from where the bark was exposed, dotting the tree-skin like stars. Narrowed eyes took in the tallest of the marines, a growling voice ripping from the girl’s throat. “Captain Morgan I assume.”

“What are you waiting for, ATTACK THEM!”

The Marines charged at the trio, yelling and shouting. Zoro flipped the small knife in his hand, braced for a fight but was surprised when roots shot out from the ground, sending the charging marines tumbling backward. As the girl jumped over the stumbling marines, charging the captain, Zoro ducked to grab his swords. Once he had his swords in hand he was prepared to fend off more attacks but found instead the Marines pinned under dozens of vines and roots.

Morgan was struggling to hit the attacking girl; every swing of his ax arm was dodged. The dance of lunge and evade continued, Morgan, becoming progressively frustrated with each failed attack. “Hold still and die already!”

“YOU FIRST!” Kou twisted out of the way of another attack and kicked her foot upwards, hitting the man squarely in his iron jaw and sending him backward. Landing on the man’s chest, fist cocked back to rain blows on the man Kou froze at the sound of a pistol hammer being set.

Looking out the corner of her eyes, she saw the spoiled son from before holding a gun to Coby’s head. “Y-you make another move and I blow his brains out!” The blonde was shaking, his grip on the weapon unsteady and his knees clearly struggling to hold him standing. Coby was pale as a ghost, looking at Kou in distress.

Time seemed to freeze in the courtyard. Kou glared at the cowardly blonde as she stood, cutting a look at Coby before a smirk crawled its way across her face as she lifted two fingers to her mouth and let out a piercing whistle. Coby paled even further at the sound.

“I said don’t move! I’ll shoot him!” The blonde was shaking, nervous sweat building on his brow.

Stepping off the fallen captain, Kou held her hands up in a half-heart gesture of surrender. “I’m not moving.”

Coby stared at the girl, the one who freed him from Alvida’s iron mace and let him follow his dream. Resolve firm and gaze steady, he looked at the girl. “Kourei, I won’t stand in your way! DO IT!”

“HA, I knew you had it in you! Now SABI-” As Kou called out, Morgan arose from behind her, arm ready to swing and bisect the teen who had her back to him. The man yelled as brought the ax down, at the same time Kou finished her command. “BITE!”

Many things happened at once: a large rust colored wolf pounced onto an unsuspecting Helmeppo, latching large vicious jaws onto his shoulder and knocking the man off balance.  Coby attempted to dodge the oncoming wolf and in doing so was shot in the shoulder by Helmeppo as the blonde fired the gun due to the wolf attacking. Zoro attacked Morgan with the flats of his blades, knocking the already unsteady man into unconsciousness. Finally, Kou stood still, flinching at the sound of the gunfire but gaze unwavering from where the half-tamed wolf pined Helmeppo to the ground.

She waited for a minute, for the sounds of the younger blonde screams to subside into whimpers. After another whistle broke through the air, Sabi let go of the clearly unconscious blonde and sat back on its haunches, licking the blood from its mouth.

“Hey Zoro,” Kourei turned to look at the man, “thanks.”

“No problem, captain.”

At that Kourei felt her power completely drain, the bark and needles on her skin flaking off. As her skin returned to its dormant state, she fell face-forward onto the ground, out cold. Once her consciousness completely faded the vines that had been holding back the marines wilted away and the men were able to stand.

While most of the marines began to celebrate their new freedom from the corrupt reign of Morgan a dark-skinned marine with a goatee step towards the unconscious form of Kourei. Zoro cut a look at the darker man, intercepting the marine. “I’ll take care of my captain, you see to the boys over there.” Pointing in the direction of the unconscious blonde and bleeding pink-haired boys.

The marine hesitated for only a second before nodding. Once his back was turned Zoro swayed and passed out from his own hunger and over-exertion.

 

* * *

 

 

Kou awoke with a start, sitting up suddenly and viciously head-butting a hovering Coby. As the girl looked around she realized she was on a small cot in a familiar restaurant. Looking at Coby as the boy rolled on the ground, clutching at his throbbing forehead, the older teen blinked dumbly for a minute. Hearing a snort, she turned to find a green-haired man watching the two teens, multiple empty plates in front of him.

“Glad to see you’re awake captain.” The man tipped a bottle in the teen’s direction and took a healthy swig.

Her brain was still not processing, the last she could recall was preparing to kick some marine asses. Scrubbing hands through her hair Kou grunted in frustration as her fingers were met with knots and tangles. Eyes widening, she realized she was missing her combs.

“They’re gone… GONE!” Kou’s voice gained a frantic note as she patted down her person futilely. Grabbing Coby by his shirt she picked up the boy, now with a noticeable goose egg on his forehead, and started to pull him towards the door. “We gotta find them, they must be at the base!”

The sound of a clearing throat pulled the girl from her panic. There in the hands of the green-haired man were her combs. “Looking for these?”

Kou’s eyes widened comically before she dropped a flailing Coby and rushed over to the swordsman. Swiping the silver hair pieces from his hands, Kou tucked the combs into her tangled hair, pulling back the wildly unmanageable locks into a semblance of order.

“Where did you find them?” the teen asked as she turned towards who she now recognized as Zoro.

“Took them out of your hair before putting you on the cot, didn’t think sleeping on those would be comfortable.” Zoro shrugged and took another drink from an almost empty bottle.

“Well, thanks, I guess.” Turning back to a sitting Coby the girl began to open her mouth to speak before stopping and turning back to Zoro “Did you call me 'captain' earlier?”

“Well yeah, you are the captain yeah?”

“… Coby,” She turned at the boy, “Am I a captain?”

“Uhm, I mean I guess you kinda have to be the captain. What else would you be?”

“Point, good point.” Shrugging Kou turned again to Zoro, “Guess I’m your captain!”

“Hmm, So who else is there in your crew? I’ve met pinky there and that wolf of yours, but no one else has shown up yet.”

“Oh Coby isn’t a pirate, he’s a Marine, isn’t that right Coby!” Kou pulled said boy into a head-lock, ruffling his pink hair and jostling his glasses. “And Sabi isn’t really my wolf, I don’t even know if he can be on a boat. Shishishi you are my first official crew member!”

“WHAT YOU IDIOT!”

Coby pulled himself free from Kou’s grasps and went to hide next to the bar as the girl sat at the table with Zoro. Rika was quick to put a plate of grilled fish and pork next to the girl, the hero of Shell’s Town. The young girl turned to Coby as the older teen began to gesticulate and talk with the swordsman loudly.

“Is big-sister Kou really a pirate? She doesn’t act like one.”

“Yeah, Kourei’s a pirate, she’s gonna be Pirate King one day.”

“But to be Pirate King… is big-sister gonna find One Piece?”

The sound of Zoro’s exclamation interrupted whatever Coby response may have been. “THAT’S NOT A SHIP!” The man was pointing out the window towards where Coby knew his boat was docked.

“Kourei…” Coby hesitated for a second but quickly straightened his back, “You can’t take my boat!”

“Why not?” With a casual shrug, the girl reached for Zoro’s plate and was quickly slapped away. “You’re gonna be a Marine here, you don’t need it now.”

“You can’t just take someone’s boat.”

“I’m a pirate, I can do whatever I want! Plus, what’s some thievery between friends?!” Kou stood as she towered over the boy. Coby flinched as Kou’s hand headed towards his face, but when no blow or stinging reprimand came he peeked open his eyes. Kou was staring at where his bandages were peeking past his shirt collar. As she opened her mouth to speak again the door to the restaurant opened and a handful of Marines entered.

“Pardon the intrusion,” A lieutenant stepped forward, nodding at the standing girl. “Is it true that you are pirates?”

“Haha yeah, I’m a captain now, cool right!?”

“We appreciate what you have done for this town, helping overthrow that tyrant and saving the people, but as Marines, we cannot abide by pirates freely staying in this town.” Lifting his cap, the lieutenant stood ramrod straight as the girl seemed to size him up. “Due to the debt we owe you, we will not contact Headquarters about your presence here, but you cannot stay any longer!”

The gathered town’s people kicked up a ruckus at this proclamation, exclaiming about how the pirates had saved the town and even the other marines. Kou just stared at the dark marine before a smile crossed her face, pulling at her gruesome scar.

“It’s ok, we were planning on leaving soon anyway.” Reaching behind the counter she picked up her linen bag, the one Coby had clearly retrieved from their camp while she had been unconscious. And made her way out of the restaurant.

As she passed the marine he stopped the girl and asked, “Isn’t he part of your crew?” while pointing at a pale Coby.

Kou turned to look at the shivering boy, a cold sweat beading on his brow.

“Haah, Coby? Never seen him before~”

The marine gave an incredulous look, before reply. “Many people report having seen him with you, he was even there at the battle in the courtyard.”

“Please, lieutenant is this the face of a liar.” Kou attempted her best pout but only looked more ghastly than usual.

“If he is a pirate and does not leave with you we will have no choice but to arrest him!”

Kou stopped at that, face falling blank. Turning to face Coby, she stalked over to the boy. Raising her fist, Coby flinched and braced himself for the impact. When he wasn’t sent flying the boy looked up and the smiling girl. Her hand was hovering next to his face, not touching but close enough he could feel the heat radiate from her fist. “Silly Coby-boy, remember what you said, you won’t stand in the way of my dream, well here’s me helping you reach yours.” With that she grabbed his shirt collar and threw the boy at a wall, sending decorations crashing to the ground.

Turning back to the marine Kou made sure her voice could be heard by everyone in a five-mile radius. “Take that useless sack of shit to jail, I don’t care! He would never cut it as a pirate even if he tried, too damn noble to ever make it on a crew, let alone my crew! HAHAHAHA I hope he rots!” And with that the girl moved to leave the restaurant, dragging a smirking Zoro behind her.

“You sure know how to make an exit, Captain.”

“Shishishi you haven’t seen nothing yet!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Super long chapter because one, Zoro, and two, I am going to spend the next week packing and moving so I won't have much time to work on the next chapter.
> 
>  
> 
> As you can tell, I am terrible at pacing and fight scenes and I am ok with that. Yes, Kou is bad-ass, and yes she is more powered than canonLuffy was at the beginning, but she also is more likely to fall victim to her own powers as she has less experience than canonLuffy. As part of her different but similar powers, Kou is more 'open' to hear and use "The Voice of All Things" BUT NO SHE WILL NEVER CONTROL SEA KINGS. Kou is OP as hell but I am not going to destroy canon that much.
> 
> This chapter drained me dry, I tell you what.


	14. Mandarin Orange

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The plot moved along only slightly faster than a three legged tortoise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No obvious triggers this chapter, but some implied violence and threats of violence.
> 
> This chapter is formatted a little different and the grammar is a little blah due to a lack of Word on my current computer so I had to rely a lot on spell check apps. Sorry if it is difficult to read.

Zoro felt the weight of his captain against his side, and the deep rumbling snores of her wolf vibrating through his back. The swordsman himself was dozing, being responsible for keeping watch for any possible attackers, be them human or ocean life. Already the small ship had been set upon by a large sea-serpent, a pod of angry dolphins, a terrifyingly large turtle, and one storm that would have easily thrown the small boat off course and cost the duo their supplies if not for the captain's power over wood holding the boat together. Thinking back on everything that happened, Zoro could hardly believe it had only been a week at sea.

Of course, the day they had spent wasted due to the man rowing the boat in a giant circle certainly did not help with the duo's sense of time. The girl had yelled something fierce after that incident and refused to let Zoro even touch the oars. Not that the girl is any better when it comes to directions, but she could at least tell the difference between starboard and port side. The issue remained though that the amount of food the teen could plow through was both frightening and troubling. Already they were out of most of the perishables, and the cured meat was running low. The only supplies that were still nicely stocked were the drinking water, hard tack, and what seemed to be a barrel full of pickled vegetables including carrots, cabbages, and chopped potatoes. The 'salad' was far too sour for Zoro's taste, but Kou seemed to at least power through the flavor to allow the swordsman to eat fresher foods first.

Even with their attempts at rationing, they were running dangerously low of jerky and salted meat. Zoro knew that if they completely ran out the wolf would make an excellent source of protein, and even the girl agreed with him on what to do if an emergency food supply was needed. She was not happy with the decision but Zoro could appreciate the fact his captain was willing to make the sacrifice if needs be.

The fact that they were already out of beer could only be blamed on Zoro though, as the girl refused to drink the alcohol. She had told the green-haired man that at least one of them needed a clear head at all times, even though he had told the girl that it would take more than weak beer to make him drunk. She had just scoffed at him and chewed on her hardtack.  
What made the situation even worse was that Zoro discovered that hard way that the captain's use of her powers drained her of energy exponentially, far outstripping the actual energy she could gain from their rations. When the storm had come upon them only a few days after leaving Shells Town, Zoro has thought that they would at least have lost their food to the choppy waves and blistering wind. It was a surprise to the man when his captain had planted her feet firmly and fused the barrels and crates to the very deck she stood on. In his awe of her display of power, it took him minutes to realize the woman had also grown the wood from the deck all the way to her knees, the only reason she had been able to stand firm in the whipping winds and violent rocking of the waves. After the storm had passed, hours later, the girl had collapsed, crumbling onto herself like a puppet with its strings cut. The girl had remained unconscious for a whole day and once she regained consciousness proceeded to devour almost a quarter of their rations.

Even with the dangers and trials, the duo had faced so far, there were, of course, nice and even funny moments between the two. Their first night at sea the girl had shown Zoro different constellations that dotted the sky: the anvil, the great eagle, crow head, Maiden, and little fox. She had tried to show him more, but those were the only patterns that stuck for the swordsman. He fully admitted that his favor was the anvil, which the captain had told him was the sign that all the greatest swords were made under and that any person who wielded a sword made under the Anvil was lucky. He could never remember Kuina or her father telling him about such a constellation but his captain seemed to know a lot about strange facts so he just shrugged and listened to her talk with half an ear.

The captain also had a habit of talking to herself in a mumble and freezing at random moments, like her brain would overload with thoughts. Zoro was patient and would just wait for the captain to continue in whatever she was doing, whether it be eating, talking, or even exercising with him. There wasn't much space on the boat, but Zoro could still do push-ups and crunches easily on the deck and the girl was more than happy to sit on his back or legs while he did his exercises. He had attempted to cajole the girl into joining in as more than support but she had just scoffed and said that 'he had to work harder than that to get her sweaty'.

Zoro could appreciate that the captain was much more open with him after their first night on the close quarters of the ship. The small boat did not lend itself to privacy and he had caught his captain with her pants down, quite literally, when she had to make water before sleeping for the night. It had been more than awkward at the time, but the swordsman had joked about both of them having experience with 'handling swords' and that he would be more than happy to give her 'extra practice with swordplay'. The girl had glared hard enough that Zoro was sure he would have caught on fire but just as quickly the girls face exploded in red and she grumbling something about cooling him off with cold sea-water before burying her face in her bedroll.

Now that the man knew his captain's secret and proved that he was more than comfortable with the situation the two became closer, tossing crude jokes and blunt bards back and forth. Zoro could fully admit the girl was much more clever than himself and came up with some very unique nicknames. He would never tell the girl that his favorite though was when she would jokingly call him her 'knight in rags' and pretend to swoon. Of course, the act would be undercut by the girl doing some impressive feat such as reeling in a ten-foot long shark or catching a barrel that could have otherwise hit the napping man.  
Even now as the girl burrowed into his side he could feel the power thrumming under her skin, the scent of clove and bitting pepper overlayed the calming smell of freshly tilled earth that clung to the girl and seemed to be exuded by her skin. Already Zoro could see peek of green sprouts pushing past the cracks in the wood, where the lacquer didn't quite coat the raw planks.

A snorting at his back pulled the swordsman from his thought and looking behind he spotted the damn wolf giving him a look. The creatures yellow eyes did hold an intelligence uncommon in other wolves, but even so, it didn't scare the man as he knew he could kill the creature easily.

As if reading his thoughts, the wolf snorted again and stood to move towards the crate Kou had designated at the creatures ration stores. Already she had trained the creature to only eat the food in that crate and to leave its waste in a single corner with straw to absorb most of the smell and to make clean-up easier. It had even learned to pull at the ropes for the sails at Kou's command to help them catch a strong breeze as she rowed.

Leaving the creature to its own devices Zoro turned back to the captain, observing her at rest for another minute or so before deciding that he might as well get some rest as well and returned to his light doze.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Smacking her dry lips together Kou stared up at the bright sky, watching fat clouds float along the breeze. They had eaten the last of the salted meat that morning and while Zoro attempted to fish up something edible the girl passed the time cloud watching. With her head pillowed on Sabi's side, it was becoming difficult to remain awake but Kou knew if she fell asleep then there might not be any Sabi left once she wakes up. Itching her nose Kou cut a look at the fishing man, her lips quirking down at the man's scowl. Clearly, he was having no success.

A flash caught the girl's eye and turning back to the sky Kou spotted a fair sized bird circling the boat. She couldn't clearly make out what species the bird was but judging from its wingspan and beak to body distribution Kou could guess that it was a pelican. The circling behavior and that fact the bird was not with its flock was unusual, but if there was a pelican than they must be approaching land.

Catching Zoro's attention Kou pointed up at the bird. "We have to be pretty close to an island, those guys normally don't go too far from the coasts."  
Squinting, the swordsman looked to where the girl was pointing. "How can you even tell what kind of bird that is?"

"Do you really want me to answer that question or would you rather we start raising anchor?"

Zoro shrugged and reeled in his empty line while the girl began pulling up the boat's make-shift anchor of a sack of sand inside a small barrel that once held apples. Once the anchor was up the girl sat by the oars, ready to follow wherever the bird would lead them. Zoro was already preparing the sail, untying and loosening the ropes so that the burlap tarp could unfurl properly. Both humans kept their eyes waiting for the pelican to go back to its nesting ground and therefore land.

After almost ten minutes of waiting and watching the duo was very happy to see the bird stop its circling and seemed to be catching a warm breeze back to what was hopefully land. Zoro pulled the rope, releasing the sail as Kou began to row. As the sail caught the wind both humans jolted due to the boat pulling forward into a steady clip. This sudden movement, unfortunately, caught the birds attention, and it turned back to dive next to the boat. As the bird approached Kou realized that she had been mistaken on it being a large pelican, it was actually a giant bird easily the size of their dinky little boat and was clearly not a pelican due to its unusual pink coloration. Its grapefruit-sized eyes were locked on the boat, watching for any movement on the deck. Kou was frozen, waiting for the bird's interest to pass, but Zoro did not seem to have the same hesitation and went to draw his swords. Quick as lightning the bird snatched up the swordsman in its enormous beak, the strong keratin preventing Zoro from freeing himself as his arms were pinned to his side by the giant bird's jaws.  
Kou watched in shock as the bird took off, splashing the boat as it created waves with its powerful wings. The girl sat for a minute, completely dumbfounded before her sense caught up with her brain and she began to desperately paddle in the direction the bird flew.

Straining to keep up with the powerful animal proved futile, and after twenty minutes of intense rowing, Kou lost sight of the bird. Panting the girl stared in the direction she had watched the bird fly in, there was a good chance that the bird would continue to fly in a single direction, especially if it would be to the only land within fifty miles.

Resigning herself to hours of rowing, Kou settled herself in for the long haul. Sabi settled himself at her feet, lightly dozing and drooling on the girl's shoes. Kou made a face at the feel of drool on her toes but otherwise ignored the wolf.  
The sounds of water parting under the heavy oars and snoring wolf was disturbed far too soon for Kourei's taste, as the sounds of struggling and splashing could be heard and the girl could see the shapes of what looked like people flailing in the ocean. The teen debated if she should stop for the drowning people, but knew that catching up with Zoro before he became bird food was more important. She still slowed just enough that the people, three men dressed in vaguely circus themed clothes, could grab the sides of the boat to climb on.

Kou looked at the men out of the corner of her eye as she continued rowing. Waterlogged, the fools clearly had been on the verge of drowning. The man wearing a bandana was the first to gain his bearings and moved towards the knife strapped on his side. Well, that would not do at all. With a sharp whistle from the girl, Sabi perked up and lunged at the smallest man while Kou used her powers to grow a thick band of wood across the chests of the other two. The unfortunate red-head that was now pinned under an aggressively growling wolf was shaking like a leaf sought in a storm, the two men pinned under the wood seemed to believe their companion was in more danger and yelled at Kou to call off her 'pet'.  
She snorted as she continued to row, only half-turning to look at the men. The red-head man looked to be on the verge of pissing himself, understandable as Sabi had his thin neck between his jaws, waiting for the command to bite down.

"So what did you plan on doing once you got my boat, huh?" Silence met Kou's question, unsurprising though annoying. "You, Unibrow, answer my questions or Ginger here starts losing blood."

"Please don't kill us, we just needed a boat to get back to our captain!" The dark-haired man begged fists clenched uselessly to his side. "Some ginger bitch stole our treasure and destroyed out ship!"

"Ok, say I believe you, how did a single girl destroy your ship? And who exactly is your captain?"

"She called a storm down on us, no clue how but she did. You gotta believe me!" The man kicked around like a fish on the chopping block, perhaps he was finally realizing the danger he was in, unlikely as it was that Kou would kill the men directly. She would rather just throw them other the side of the boat, as the ginger one had, in fact, released his bladder in fear.

Wrinkling her nose, Kou scoffed and returned to her questioning of the largest 'pirate'. "You didn't answer me, who is your captain?"

The man looked nervously to his companion in wooden binds, and then at the man pinned under the still rumbling wolf. "Buggy, Buggy the Clown is our captain."

Kou stopped, processing the man's response and promptly broke out in hysterical laughter. "CLOWN, your captain is a clown! What does he have a red nose and face paint too!? HAHAHA! Oh too good," The laughter stopped and a sharp glint entered the girl's eyes. "Now be serious or it's off with your friend's head."

The two pinned men shared a look, and with a gulp, the bandana-clad one responded. "He is telling the truth, uhm ma'am?" With a fortifying breath, the man continued, "We are the Buggy Pirate, the uhm... Tightrope Funan Brothers, our captain is Buggy the Clown. We're not lying!" He yelled the last part as the wood around his chest tightened.

"And where is your captain now?"

"He told us to meet him in Orange Town with the treasure, said he had set up base there."

"And how far is Orange Town?" Kou squinted in the distance and turned back to the men.

"Less than three hours at the most."

"Good." With a flick of her fingers, the wood around the two men dissolved into rotten mulch, though Sabi still held the smallest man within his jaws. Pointing at the oars as she moved to sit closer to the wolf Kou said in an even voice "Get us there in one."

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Zoro for his part was not having a fun time, trapped in the beak of an oversized chicken and unable to draw his swords with his arms pinned. Struggling and kicking his legs only made the bird's hold tighten and made his ribs creak ominously.  
The swordsman had resigned himself to his situation when a cannonball had launched out of nowhere and made the bird drop him. Falling from close to a hundred feet, what would have surely killed a normal man, caused bruising and a few cracked ribs on the green-haired man. The fact that his fall had been cushioned by a rather tall building, and another smaller building after bouncing off the taller one.

Gasping for the breath that had been violently knocked from his lungs, Zoro lay on the ground stunned for a solid minute. The people around him unnoticed as the swordsman struggled to stand. Once able to fully stand Zoro took account of his surroundings and finally noticed the people around him; a rather pretty looking young girl with orange hair and three rather angry looking men.

Zoro looked between the girl and the men, rolling his shoulders and neck in an attempt to ease the soreness from his unexpected landing. Suddenly the girl turned, calling a "Thanks Boss," over her shoulder as she ran off. The swordsman gave a confused look in the direction the girl ran off before one of the men hit Zoro.

Ears still ringing from his fall, Zoro turned to look at the men and noticed the drawn swords. Smirking through the pain, the swordsman swiftly drew his own blades and ignoring whatever the men were saying cut through them. It took mere seconds for Zoro to defeat the men and leaving them in a puddle of their own blood, breathing and alive if only by mere luck.

"Hey, good job with those bozos." The ginger-haired girl sauntered up to Zoro and cocked her hip as she observed the green-haired man. "Sorry 'bout leaving you there but you looked like you could handle yourself. I can treat you to lunch to make it up to you."

Squinting at the girl, Zoro observed that the young woman before nodding in assent. "Yeah, I could use some beer and a nice grilled steak."

"Well c'mon then, my treat." motioning for the man to follow, the girl walked towards where she knew a cheap bar was.

The two walked in silence and once they reached the bar the only time it was broken was when either ordered food or booze. Finally, once Zoro had his fill of cheap beer and meat so rare it still twitched on the plate did he ask the girl, "Why were those men chasing you anyway?"

"What does it matter," The girl replied, "you dealt with them pretty well so how 'bout you join me?" Holding out her hand for a shake she continued. "Names Nami and I'm what you could call an independent wealth seeker."

"Zoro, and isn't that a fancy way of saying 'thief'?" Ignoring the proffered hand he moved to take a hearty swig of his beer.  
The girl, Nami, glared at the man before recognization flashed in her eyes. "You don't mean Zoro as in Roronoa Zoro, the bounty hunter!?"

"Yeah, the same, 'cept I am part of a crew now, my captain is just a little lost right now." Not like he would admit to basically being kidnapped by a bird.

"By crew, you mean other bounty hunters?" Nami looked at the man suspiciously, but due to him somewhat ignoring the girl in favor of his food and booze didn't catch the unsaid question of 'not a pirate crew'.

"Naw, my captain says she's a pirate, though so far all we've done is sail around lost. She doesn't even have a Beli to her name, no bounty, nothing. Says she's going to the Grand Line."

"Uhg I can't believe you became a pirate, you used to hunt them and now you turn traitor and become one. I hate pirates."

"Fair enough, there are a lot of really terrible people out there who are also pirates but don't say I am a traitor. I was a bounty hunter because it paid for food and kept me clothed, but I never enjoyed it, there was never any challenge. With my captain at least there is a guarantee of adventure."

"But you don't hunt pirates anymore?" A glint was in the girl's eyes and now Zoro was paying attention to the unasked questions and undertone of the conversation.

"Not actively, but if you know by chance of any high bounty individuals who may or may not be on this island then I won't turn down an opportunity to make some Beli."

"As a matter of fact, I know of just the bounty you may be looking for, follow me and we can talk business."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay on this chapter, my parents got me a new computer for a graduation gift and it both does not have Word on it and plays video games 1000% better than my last PC. A shorter chapter as I wanted to put some focus on Zoro and Kou's growing relationship. No they will never be romantically involved, but I still think the two can and will be close, similar to canon Luffy and Zoro but different in their own ways.
> 
> Yes, some good old Nami in this chapter, not a lot, but she is now officially in the fic so yay.


	15. Lavender

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: canon-typical violence and implied non-named character death

Kourei sat comfortably on her boat, buffing her nails with a spare bit of her dress. What had once been a lovely red sundress was now better used as a tunic, what with the shredded hem and now torn off sleeves. The girl really had to find a way to control her powers better but was at a loss as strong emotion just made her control that much weaker. Looking up from her nails, Kou felt a jolt of excitement as she noticed that the boat was fast approaching land.

As soon as the hull touched sand the girl flew out of the boat and began to run towards the vague shape of a town. A sharp whistle left he lips as she remembered that Sabi would most certainly be of use tracking down her way-ward swordsman. Smiling at the sounds of screaming men, Kou derived some sadistic pleasure from knowing the three pirates would now and forever be terrified of her and by extension and red-furred canine they would meet.

Looking over to the sound of the wolf running next to her, Kou felt her smile grow. Now to find her stupid crew-member and hopefully have a fresh meal or five.  
Skidding to a stop next to a rather dilapidated building the girl pulled one of Zoro’s spare bandannas from where she had tucked it into the back of her shorts. Holding the item out for Sabi to get a good trail she startled at the sound of growling. Turning towards the sound Kou spotted a small off-white dog growling at her and Sabi with its hackles raised and dull teeth exposed from a rather adorable snarl.

Letting out a huff that sounded closer to a scoff Sabi ignored the small dog and sniffed at the black cloth in Leader’s hand. The cloth smelled heavily of Sharp Male but carried some undertones of Leader.

Kourei for her part was somewhat distracted at the combined sound of the small dog’s growling and the whispers of _protectprotectmasterprotectprotect **.**_ Shaking her head Kou tried to ignore the small pup in favor of attempted to get Sabi to find the green-haired man.  
The sound of a man’s laugh further interrupted as the strangest sight Kou had seen stepped into her line of sight. A man… riding an enormous lion. The man was rather strange looking on his own, with white hair and a chinstrap shaped like… a teddy bear? The lion was magnificent though, with a gorgeous red mane and shiny sienna fur. The sight of the amazing animal was slightly damped by the fact it was letting the man ride it like a glorified horse.

“What’s so funny?” The confused girl asked as she moved to stand, Sabi moving to stand next to her and growling at the new intruders.

“Well cutie,” the man chuckled as he jumped off the shockingly tame lion and moved towards the girl and two growling canines, “that wolf next to you is nowhere tame or intelligent enough to find whoever you're looking for with just some cloth.”

“I don-” The man cut off Kou as he continued to talk.

“And the little pooch is clearly not a scent tracking breed, not to mention it seems to be growling at you as much as at me.”

Kou huffed and crossed her arms, the funny looking man was clearly talking to hear his own voice. Moving to walk away she was stopped as the man stopped her by having the lion move to block her path.

“Hey, now cutie, how bout I Tame the little pooch for you and you give me the wolf, sound fair? Girls love little doggies yeah?”

The cutting glare Kou gave the man would have surely made her opinion on his stupid suggestion clear if he wasn’t already moving towards the growling dog. Shrugging, Kou turned to watch the man attempt to ‘tame’ the clearly distressed dog. The continued whispers of _protectminemineattackprotec_ t told Kou all she needed to know on how this situation was sure to end. Still the small dog lunging and biting the man’s hand as he attempted to pet the small canine forced a laugh from Kou. Further laughter spilled as the man comically shook his hand in an attempt to dislodge the vicious pup.

Kou’s laughter stopped and her eyes widened when the man ripped the dog off his hand and moved to throw the dog. Moving quickly she kicked the legs out from under the man and moved to catch the disoriented pup, receiving a rather vicious bite on her bicep as thanks for saving the dog’s life. Flinching at the sharp pain, Kou turned to glare at the shocked and very pissed man.

“Little bitch why’d you kick me!?” The man stood on shaky legs and whistled, the command causing the lion to move towards the girl and the dog in her arms. “Just give me the dog and I’ll call us even, little fucker clearly needs put down if I can’t tame it.”

Pretending to think it over the girl replied in a voice dripping in venom, “How ‘bout you leave and I forget your face.” It wasn’t a question.

“Bitch, I’m gonna put that dog down and then I’m gonna teach you not to fuck with Mohji the Tamer!” Pulling himself on the lion another whistle was all the warning the girl received before the large animal lunged. Ducking and rolling under the slashing paws, Kou popped back up and watched as the lion barreled through the building that she had been standing in front of, destroying a rather large chunk of the exterior facade and taking down part of a supporting wall. The growling and wiggling dog in her arms started to howl as the building began to collapse in on itself as the lion pulled itself from the wreckage and turned towards them.

She was gonna need her arms free for this fight. Rolling the howling dog towards an attack ready Sabi the girl gave the simple command of ‘Protect’ before bracing herself to fight a fucking lion. Bemoaning the fact that this was her life now, Kou brought her fists up and felt the surrounding plant life stand at attention. Rolling under the lunging lion the girl felt the roots under the concrete respond, lifting and wrapping around the hind legs of the creature. The sudden bindings caused the animal to halt, sending its rider tumbling off. More roots crawled from under the lion, binding it thoroughly.

The dazed animal tamer stood on unsure legs, turning just as the girl came flying at him with a cocked fist. Then the man knew no more.

Scoffing Kou looked down on the unconscious man before hawking a loogie at him. “Chump shoulda just walked away.” Turning Kou stopped a man standing next to the remains of the building, barely visible shivers causing his shoulders to quake. Cracking her shoulders and neck she moved toward the man. “Who’re you?”

B-Boodle, Mayor Boodle.”

“This your house?” Kou pointed at the wreckage that was now no more than rubble.

“No, this was the Pet Supply, little Chocho’s owner lived here.” Boodle gestured over to the limp dog hanging by its scruff from Sabi’s hold.

“Oof, sorry ‘bout that.”

“Don’t bother, no one has lived here for almost a year.”

But you just said-”  
“Yes, past tense lived. Poor dog had been guarding the place since his owner passing, I have been bringing him water and food every day, but Chocho refused to budge.”

Kou didn’t have a response to what the mayor was saying, what could she say to it, nothing seemed appropriate. Instead, the girl moved to lift the now quiet dog from Sabi’s protective grasp; small, pathetic whimpers the only response. The girl held the shivering dog close, mindlessly running her hands through the dirty fur. The was no whispers, just quiet whimpering.

With her mind made up the girl put the dog down and moved towards the wreckage. The mayor moved to stop her, but whatever he saw in her eyes stopped the elderly man. The girl crawled into the rubble and remained inside what was left of the building for many long minutes. When the mayor finally spotted a now dusty girl crawl out he moved to help her up and noticed the dirty dog bed in her hands.

“This was all I could find aside from some bags of food,” shrugging Kou moved over to the small dog, “Sorry Chocho, it’s a little dusty...”  
The dog gave a sniff at the bed and moved to grab the dirty bed between his jaws. Kou watched the dog walk away with a heavy feeling in the pit of her stomach.

Turning towards the mayor a vicious grin split her face.

“Let’s talk business Mayor Boodle.”

 

* * *

  
  
  
Zoro was in a cage, a small wooden cage that was clearly meant to contain a small animal comfortably. Of course, because Zoro is not a small animal, he is not able to be comfortably contained in the cage, so the man was stuck squatting behind the wooden bars. The fact he was stuck in this situation was partially his own fault, Zoro knew this, but it was still frustrating as hell that he was now forced in this cramped cage.

When he had left the bar to follow Nami to discuss possible work she had led him towards the docks where the pirates were scurrying around. Watching the pirates running around, Zoro noticed that there seemed to be a circus theme on the outfits of the crew, the very ship itself, and the man that looked like the captain had the appearance of a clown. From the distance they sat at, Zoro could make out a rather obnoxious feather bi-horn hat and a bulbous red nose.

“They’re called the Buggy Pirates, and their captain is known as Buggy the Clown,” Nami explained as she pointed out the ship. “They docked here about a week ago from what the locals tell me, and have been terrorizing the town and any ships that try to dock.”

“Hasn’t the Navy done anything to help?” Zoro knew it was a silly question, the Navy was sparse in this area of the Blue, more focused on larger port cities. “You’d think the caravan ships would attempt to get some Navy involvement if it was cutting into profits.”

“This town is so small that the only boats that Buggy has shot and sunk are fishing vessels.”

“Well shit, and nobody has tried to fight him and his crew?”

“This is just a town of simple fishers and tradesmen, no warriors. Nobody wants to die just to know they would lose.”

“Well fair, whats that captains bounty?”

“15,000,000 Beli, think you can take him?”

“Heh, I can take him with my arms tied.”

That was how Zoro ended up in his current predicament, overconfident that he could take on the pirate he had charged in swords blazing and had cut through a fair few of the crew before reaching the captain. The issue was that he had cut up the captain and instead of bleeding out in ribbons the man had used some power to turn himself into pieces, making him invulnerable. Now Zoro was stuck watching the crew’s swordsman handle and use the green-haired man’s weapons.

“These are pretty nice weapons Captain, I think we can sell these two for a good price, especially since they belonged to Bounty Hunter Zoro.” The black-haired swordsman with the ugliest haircut Zoro had ever seen was talking to the clown nosed captain.

“Haha, I still cannot believe I caught Bounty Hunter Zoro,” Buggy was dancing, the bastard, and crowing about how he caught the man. “He may be a bounty hunter but I bet the navy will still pay for his head!”

“Of course Captain.” Nodded another crew member. “But, uhm, how are we gonna give the Navy his head, aren’t you wanted as well?”

The clown pirate stopped dancing and turned to look at the crew member. Zoro could practically hear the gears turning in the pirates head. “Well since you brought it up,” the clown pointed threateningly at the crew member with a gloved finger, “You get to have the honors of delivering his head.”

Well shit, Zoro did not want to die like this, trapped like an animal and killed by some two-bit pirate. Struggling against the bars with renewed vigor the swordsman tried to break through the cage with his bare hands to no avail, only gaining new splinters and raw palms. He stopped when he heard shouting, sounds and pain, and the recognizable sound of fighting.

“What the hell is going on?” Buggy turned to ask his second in command but all he received in reply was a similarly confused look. “Well go find ou-” the pirate was cut off as he watched multiple crew member fly over his head and land in the water next to the ship. He flinched at the sound of crunching as one unfortunate man ended up landing on the dock instead of water.

All eyes followed where the men had come flying from to see a rather vicious looking figure fighting multiple men at once. Zoro recognized his captain as she let loose devastating punches and kicks, a vicious snarl cutting across her face and stretching her already ruined lips into a hideous visage. The thorns sprouting from her bark-skin pierced the flesh of the men she was brawling with and while she clearly was gathering a smattering of bruises, when one of the pirates went down there was the guarantee they were not getting back up.

“Ha, captain I knew you would find me!” Zoro half laughed as he watched the woman tear through the enemy pirate ranks. Once her eyes locked onto his, the man could not help laughing fully at the sight of her scowl, clearly, she was not happy with the work she had to go through to get the man back but she was still doing it anyway. That sort of loyalty was hard to come by as a pirate and Zoro realized he had made the right choice sticking with the girl.

 

* * *

 

Nami felt guilty. Not fully, but she still felt a twinge of remorse for having tricked the former pirate hunter into acting as bait. He had made a fantastic distraction while the girl had used her talents as a cat-burglar to steal the map of the Grand-Line that the Buggy Pirates had stolen originally. The fact that he was captured anyway did cause Nami’s rather vague moral compass to remind the girl she did, in fact, have a soul. She knew the pirates were likely to kill the man, but he was a pirate now so he clearly didn’t deserve her concern.

Still… he did say that he and his captain weren’t like other pirates.

No, all the pirates were the same, and Zoro didn’t deserve even an ounce of concern. He had made his bed, agreeing to attack such a large crew and such a notorious pirate, now he had to live with the consequences. Die with the consequences was more an apt description of what Nami knew was likely to happen.  
A deep rumbling pulled Nami from her contemplation. Looking over the edge of the roof onto the docks the girl was shocked to see a giant tree explode from the ground. Roots were shooting from the ground, tangling the men of Buggy’s crew and pinning them to the ruined dock. A sudden crack and the tree was falling, in the direction of the clown pirate’s ship. Screams could be heard as the giant tree fell into the ship, quite literally causing the ship the crack in half and sink under the waves caused by the tree’s falling. More screams followed by cannon fire made the thief scramble down from the roof, for fear of the cannonball destroying the building she was on.

The sight of men pinned under tree roots and thick as limbs and others bleeding, unconscious or possibly dead caused Nami to shiver in fear. In the center of the chaos and destruction stood the red-clad figure with blood dripping from clench fists and skin covered in thorns. Another shiver of fear ripped through the orange-haired girl as the figure turned to look at her. The devil, they had to be the devil with the horribly disfigured grin that was distorting their face into a snarl that was barely human.

Just as Nami moved to take a step back and run away from the terrifying figure, the red-clad person wavered and collapsed. The sound of flesh hitting the ground was met with swearing from somewhere. Turning to face the source of the colorful swearing, Nami was met with the sight of Zoro limping towards the fallen person.

Nami’s final thought before she felt black encroach on her vision was ‘that must be his captain then.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shorter chapter than usual, but I just couldn't get much inspiration on this one. Also, I am terrible at fighting scenes so next chapter is gonna be a monster to write. Also, Nami is surprisingly hard to give justice to in early character development.
> 
> In other news, Mohji is a cocky flirt that is actually a softy that sucks at hand-to-hand and may have a crush on the "mysterious cutie who beat him in one punch" This may or may not become a trend for Kourei, cause while she is still a woman stuck in the body of a teen boy, specifically the body of Luffy, she does have charisma out the wahzoo and some animal magnetism. Also Boa's big-ass crush on Luffy, in addition to other characters admiration, shows that the boy's got something going for him. 
> 
> I dunno I just love the trope of a clueless person being the center of different levels of attraction. We will see.


	16. Petunia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Is it a fight you want, because that is the next chapter. This one is character and world building, suckers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: mentions of death, vague allusions of torture, and pirates being actual pirates

Nami awoke with a mild pulsing pain in her head and the feeling of a rather fair-sized goose egg on her temple. Blinking the blurriness from her eyes the orange-haired girl turned her head to take in her surroundings.

Age-worn wooden planks made up the walls and floor of the room she was laying in. Sitting up with a wince, the soft gray blanket on her lap fell off the side of the raised bed she was in. Plush carpet met her feet as the teen stood. The sound of muffled arguing had her turning towards the only door in the room. As she approached the girl could faintly recognize two of the voices,, but the final higher pitched person she didn't recall. Opening the door she was met with silence and three faces turning to look at her.

The town mayor was there, Boodle sat on a stool clearly exhausted from the smears of purple under his eyes. The swordsman from earlier was also there, the green-haired man had his arms crossed in either boredom or agrees ion Nami couldn't tell from the man's impressive poker face. The final face was the strangest, and the most frightening.

In a worn and torn-up dress the color of freshly spilled blood stood a… girl? The unruly shoulder length black hair and multiple pieces of jewelry lead to Nami assuming the person was surely a girl, a very flat-chested and boyish looking girl, but one none the less. The girl's face was very shocking though, wide fish-like eyes, a rather petite button nose, and mutilated lips forced into a permanent sneer due to the small scar pulling at her upper lip and the large slash on the opposite side pulling her lips downward. The intimidating visage was further enforced by the large rust-red wolf that was resting by the strange girl's bare feet and the deep shadows under her eyes.

A smile broke across the girl's face, further distorting and stretching her ruined lips. "Heya, glad to see you up and about, was worried I scared you ta death!" The source of the higher voice was clearly the other teen girl.

Nami stared in blank shock before shaking off her nerves, she was Cat-Burglar Nami damn it, some teen girl wasn't gonna scare her. "Y-yes," her throat was just parched, that was why she stuttered, "I'm Nami who… are you?"

"Shishishi names Kourei, nice to meet ya Nami, I heard great things ‘bout you from tall, dark, and stupid overhear." The girl motioned over to Zoro at the rather rude description. Shit, did he tell the girl about how Nami tricked him? "Said you tricked him into trying to take down some two-bit pirates, must have been pretty easy to do seeing how I conned him into joining my crew." At that, the black-haired teen cackled madly as the swords-man in question glared daggers.

"Uhm..." Nami was speechless, how does one respond to such a disrespectful and careless person, a person who wore danger and power like a second skin. Nami knew what that sort of casual confidence looked like, and she knew how dangerous those sorts could be.

"Ignore the idiot," Zoro was surprisingly calm at being the butt of the teen's mocking, "she is a complete bitch sometimes but she means well most of the time." Taking a sip from the glass at his elbow the man continued. "This is my captain, the woman I told you about, we were just talking about how to deal with this town's insect infestation."

"Ha, I get it, cause they're the ‘Buggy Pirates' and it sounds like ‘bug'." The look the scarred teen received could only be described as dull.

"Kou thinks we might be able to capture their captain if we can trap him while he is all scattered."

"Scattered?" Nami was curious but wary, the two strangers were still pirates and couldn't be trusted but the enemy of my enemy and all the rubbish.

"Yeah," The other girl responded with a shrug as she began to pick at her nose, causing both Nami and the quiet mayor to scrunch their noses. "Zoro said the clown was able to scatter into pieces when this dumb ass tried cutting him, but that there was no blood or nothing, just a clean dismemberment." Flicking whatever was on her finger out one of the open windows of the kitchen the girl continued. "If he can do that at will then clearly he can't be killed with conventional weapons, so the only option to trap him. If we can get him while he is in pieces then maybe we can stop him from reforming."

"I still say we should just kill him, maybe throw him in the ocean after we trap him."

"Hey, letting the clown live wasn't my idea," the girl pointed towards the mayor, "Boodle thinks the Navy would be willing to grant the town the full bounty plus compensation if the pirate is captured alive."

The banter between the two was interrupted by the mayor's cough. "I do appreciate everything you have done Miss Kourei, but as you know this town is in ruins due to those pirates and we need the funds badly if we wish to re-build."

"You also failed to mention how you plan on contacting a Navy Base, seeing as how all your previous attempts have failed."

"I told you once we can-" the girl cut off the mayor before he could finish.

"And if they destroyed the Den-Den Mushi that you had then what, smoke signals?" The girl was clearly asking rhetorically and was also done with the conversation as she was walking towards the front door. "Zoro, Sabi c'mon, if we can catch the pirates before they can regroup then maybe we can have the element of surprise on our side."

The swordsman chuckling could be heard as he followed the girl and Nami could hear his response as the three left. "Captain I'm pretty sure you're the definition of ‘surprise'."

 

* * *

 

  
Buggy was not happy, not in the slightest. His ship was destroyed beyond salvage, his remaining canon only had three Buggy Ball left, half his crew either dead or so injured they might as well be, and the little bitch who caused all the trouble got away with that damn Zoro in tow. When he got his hands the wench he would make her regret having been born. Buggy wasn't normally one for torture, having never developed a stomach or taste for it under Roger, but for that bitch, he could make an exception.

She clearly had Devil Fruit powers and whatever she had done to the dock and his crew would have surely drained her. Buggy was familiar with the energy drain of using a fruit's power and whatever the bitch did must have cost more energy than that little body could store.

A shiver tore through Buggy at the memory of the giant tree that had exploded from the ground, the rumbling and thunder loud cracks as the very earth was shredded by the violent growth. Vines whipping around like snakes, striking and pinning men as those eyes had locked onto him. That demon had the eyes of the devil, glowing with unnatural power that not even a Devil Fruit should have granted. And that skin, the wet ripping sounds as skin parted for the growing bark and piercing thorns.

Clearly Buggy would have to be creative in his torture of the little bitch, if her power displays were any indication then her pain tolerance had to be both impressive and sickeningly high. The man himself only experience a disorienting tickling sensation when he had to split or separate a part of his body. He didn't bleed through, not like she had when her skin had parted like wet paper for the rough wooden skin underneath.

A gag worked up the clown pirate's throat as he recalled how much blood that demon had shed, both her own and his crew's, and all over that damn swordsman. Cabaji was still taking count of their dead, having agreed to take the job to allow the captain to leave his grief for later. Buggy had to focus on revenge, he couldn't be side-track with the memories of their lost crew-members.

If the bitch was so attached to her useless swordsman then Buggy knew the best revenge would be killing the green-haired man. Zoro was clearly her only companion as no-one else had come to the man's rescue, and Buggy knew how deep the loss of one's closest companion could cut. Cackling madly an idea began to form, a suitably cruel idea for what the demon had done to his crew, his family.

She would pay.  
 

 

* * *

  
  
Zoro watched the girl he called ‘captain' as she walked in measured steps, exhaustion weighing her shoulders into a tired slouch. The juxtaposition or her exhaustion with the proud fire in her eyes reminded the swordsman why he stayed. The girl was clearly tired, he could guess how much energy she had left after he stunts at the docks. Kou was running on fumes and still refused to back down from her unspoken promise to help the mayor and this town.

There is a fine line between courage and stupidity, a line Zoro was very familiar with and could recognize his captain was toeing with the intent to cross. Her refusal to rest at the mayor's house was not helping either, she had insisted that one of them stay alert while the other got to rest and regained their strength. Zoro hadn't been too injured, but his earlier attempt at attacking Buggy hadn't been harmless either. She was also planning something, which Zoro wouldn't be so concerned about if it wasn't for the fact she refused to share. She said he was to be the primary distraction and attack force, but she never clarified how exactly they were to trap the clown pirate.

Moving to support the wavering girl Zoro steadied both her body and his nerves. They were in this together and if she had a plan then he just had to trust her. He was her first-mate after all, if it was important then she would share with him when it was time.

Moving one of her arms over his shoulder, Zoro supported the girl and noticed her dress had suspiciously tacky spots. Moving his other arm across her hip, he put his hand against her thigh where he recalled the strange bark-skin appearing. Pulling his hand back at the feel of cool, tacky liquid the swordsman recognized the sight of drying blood.

"That is new." He commented dumbly at the situation.

"Heh yeah," Kou mumbled in Zoro's side as he supported her, "A surprise every time I use my powers, never bled this much before though."

"I don't remember you bleeding at Shell Town."

"Hmm, sometimes I do sometimes I don't, s'all luck of the draw. Normally it is only a trickle through, never anywhere close to this much ‘fore."

"Should you be more concerned, I think this should probably make you at least a little worried."

"Naw… you can worry for the both of us and …. and I'll just plot world domination." The last part of her response barely understandable as the girl's words slurred.

Catching the dead-weight as his captain passed out Zoro couldn't help the grunt that he let out at the surprising drop. He knew the idiot should have rested more, blood loss and exhaustion were never easy to just shake off. Looking around he noticed plenty of empty buildings he could safely stash the girl until she rested up more.

Kicking in the door of a clearly abandoned house Zoro carried in the girl and laid her across a slightly dusty sofa. Her face scrunched at the smell but otherwise, she was dead to the world. Zoro chuckled at the expression before his head popped up. The sound of an explosion, of a cannon being fired, was clear. The building they were in was still standing though. Moving to look outside the man noticed the dust that had been kicked up from the collapsing buildings.

Resting a hand on the swords at his hip Zoro motioned for the wolf to stay with its master as he stepped outside. The destruction would have otherwise been impressive if not for the inconvenience the cause of said destruction had already created for the man and his captain. Following the line of broken buildings and houses like a spill of fallen dominoes, Zoro came to a stop at the end of the destruction, the mayor's house.

Standing outside the rubble that remained of the once nice house was the mayor himself and the orange-haired thief. The girl looked shaken, but her emotional turmoil was nothing compared to the mayor. The older man was practically frothing in anger, his face a shade of white only seen in seafoam and clouds.

"M-My home, how dare those bastards! HOW DARE!" The man was pacing in anger, his voice cracking under the emotion. "This was all I had left of my Mimi, everything is gone now! EVERYTHING!"

Zoro watched the impassioned man as he ran towards the collapsed building. Whatever the mayor was planning it was clearly a last resort, the final straw having shattered what may have remained of the man's patience.

The older man appeared to find what he was looking for, pulling a few worn and rusted pieces of armor from the once house along with a polearm that had clearly been left for display for too many years.

"You know how to use that thing?" Zoro couldn't help asking, both curious and already knowing the answer just from how the man held himself.

"My wife taught me a few tricks before she passed." The mayor responded as he adjusted the armor around his chest and shoulders.

"So no then." Zoro let out a heaving sigh, already he agreed to help take care of the town's pirate problem. Seems he would also have to keep the other man safe, otherwise he knew his captain would give him an earful. "I am assuming I can't talk you out of this."

"NO! I didn't fight forty years ago when pirates destroyed our home and ran everyone off the island, and I didn't fight a month ago when those damn pirates showed up and started destroying everything. I know what not fighting causes, it causes destruction and death and misery, so no I will fight because it is clearly the only answer!"

The swordsman shrugged at the impassioned speech, resigning himself to the upcoming battle being more difficult than planned. He turned to the girl, giving her a once-over before sighing again.

"Please tell me you can fight."

"Of course I can." Seems he offended the girl by implying he doubted her abilities. "Any girl sailing knows how to fight!"

"Just asking, so… you in?"

"What's in it for me, huh?"

So it was gonna be that way. "Not the bleeding heart type are ya?"

"None of your business, pirate." Nami had quite the venomous glare to match her words.

Shrugging again Zoro just turned to find the mayor already walking towards the docks. Moving to follow he was stopped by the girl's hand on his arm.

"If I join you on this suicide mission, I want protection."

"From what?"

"Does it matter, I help you on this, and you and your captain help me later. Deal?"

"Whatever, just don't get in the way."

The two walked, following the mayor at a more sedate speed than the stomping warpath the elder man was cutting towards the invading pirates' hide-out. Zoro debated breaking away and going to retrieve his captain but figured she would still be resting and not ready to fight. They already knew the pirate's powers so it wasn't like there would be any surprises in this fight.  


* * *

   
  
It was a literal circus, trying to fight to Buggy pirates. The man himself was separate from the fighting as if waiting for something, but those who remained of the crew that was in fighting shape were giving their all. Zoro was going toe-to-toe with the enemy swordsman, but the damn performer kept throwing trick after trick at the green-haired man. Smoke bombs and marbles, anything to distract and trip-up the man as the two clashed.

Nami was able to hold her own, dodging and avoiding being hit while still smacking the enemy pirates with her staff. She even lashed out with the rare kick when a man was too close to be attacked with the wooden bo-staff. Zoro could admit he had underestimated the girl if he wasn't so distracted by his own battle that was.

Mayor Boodle was the least competent in the fighting, landing lucky hits with his pole-arm and punching pirates that his weapon missed. The fact the man was limping and clearly losing blood from many small cuts and shallow stab wounds told anyone watching the fight all they needed to know on how it was to end.

Buggy watched the fighting, waiting for the demon to show up. The longer the fighting lasted the more uneasy and restless the clown pirate became. She should have shown up already, all vengeance and anger and easy to trap because of clouding emotions. He was started to tire from watching the fighting and made the decision to remove the mayor. Sending his disembodied hand towards the old man, the clown decided that the man deserved to chock to death for all the trouble he had caused.

As his hands wrapped around the mayor's throat, the feeling of the old man's pulse under the clown's fingers, he felt it. The barely there tugging of another devil fruit user approaching, fast. Smiling cruelly as the old mayor began to gasp and struggle against the clown's hold, the pirate watched the approaching figure of the demon bitch.

"Cannons, ready," The man at the remaining canon pulled the iron weapon into ready position, turning the muzzle to face the approaching figure. "Aim." The weapon was pulled into a better angle, the cannoneer knew he only had one shot and had to make it count.

"FIRE!"

The deafening explosion of the cannon firing briefly shocked the fighting into a standstill, but Buggy was far more focused on watching the destruction wrought by the fired buggy ball. Silence fell onto the dock, everyone seemed to be holding their breath as they watched the smoke and dust settle.

Letting out a horrible laugh Buggy felt the Mayor pulse slow, victory teasingly within reach. Once the mayor was gone there would be no one left to fight for this pathetic island. Just as he was ready to snap the old man's neck vine exploded around the clown's position and the canon.

Buggy was quick enough to jump away from the crushing plants, but the canon was far too heavy to be moved at speed and was swiftly overcome with the fast-spreading vines. Distracted briefly by the sudden plant explosion, the clown pirate failed to notice his hands being ripped from the mayor's neck until his hand was trapped in a crushing grip. Looking around desperately the clown found his hands pinned to the ground trapped under writhing vines. Tugging his hands back to his body, the man was barely able to retrieve the limbs before the area the hands had been was crushed under greenery.

Gulping as fear began to trickle down his spine Buggy attempted to find the figure of the demon who started this all, and failing that pulled out his dagger in preparation for any upcoming attacks. The battle around him had fallen to a standstill, neither the pirates nor the remaining opposition seemed to want to make the first move. While Buggy knew his crew was waiting to see if using his more destructive attacks would be needed, he had no idea why the two who were under the demon's sway stopped.

Zoro for his part was waiting, he had seen the girl's destructive power, but she had still not attacked directly and he did not know what that meant for the battle. If she was seriously injured from that cannon blast, then whatever she had done to free the mayor would have been a last-ditch effort. If not, then Zoro may have to find a way to pull the mayor and Nami from whatever blast radius his captain created.

Nami was waiting as well, but for her, it was for the chance to escape. Clearly, this battle would not end her favor, as she had to make an exit and quick. Just as she moved to run back into the town the ground began to split and crack, but no plants seemed to be causing the damage. At least Nami though there were no plants until she realized that the ground wasn't splitting but in-fact crumbling under their feet. The plants around the dock shriveled and blacked, the soil drying rapidly to the point of becoming dust before her eyes.

All eyes followed where the cracks lead, to where the body of Kourei would be. There, standing with her feet buried to the knees in dying soil and plants was the demon. Nami watched in awe and fear as the girl pulled her legs free from the earth, shaking off the clinging soil and cracking her shoulders and neck.

Buggy trembled as a fission of fear raced through his person at the words spoken by the demon standing at the edge of the dock.

"Guess it's time to get serious then."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cool, really fast update and an ok chapter. What more could ya want?
> 
> Also, I did warn you guys this story would be darker or at least explore some of the darker aspects of One Piece, so here we go buckle up it's gonna be a ride. I will try to update again soon, cause I know this chapter ended on a bit of a tease but it just depends on the flow of my creative juices.
> 
> And yeah, Kourei's powers are pretty OP and all that, but the more she uses it the more likely it is to kill her. I figured that is a fair trade off, near god-like control over plants with the compounding risk of permanent mutilation or death from said use.


	17. Cranberry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Buggy Battle finally happens, and it is a much shorter battle than one would expect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Graphic Violence, body horror(?), Gender Dysphoria triggered Panic Attack.

Kourei could remember a time from Before, as vague and cloudy as those memories are when she had hesitated to commit violence. It was so long ago, long before her death in the Before, during her first childhood. She remembers growing up in a loving home, her father's large hands and kind laugh, her mother's long hair and sweet smell. There had been violence and war, her home country had been split apart for decades, but her life had been peaceful and separate from the violence of the world.

There had never been a need for violence, Kourei had never had to lift her hands against another person until later on in her life. Even after she had begun to accept violence as a part of life, she had still hesitated about killing another human in the Before until the years before her own death.

The new life she lived, the world of different stars and of a never-ending ocean, in this life there was no room for hesitation.

Violence was a given in this life, within a year of this new life Kourei can remember being told about pirates and executions and death as a daily given and not the exception. She can remember watching her mother die before her very eyes, the life leaving the woman as her father's arms held her close in grief. The first time she had seen her grandfather had been when the older man had punched her father across the deck of a ship, with her still bundled in the grieving man's arms.

Violence was not sanitized in this world, death was accepted and embraced as an inevitable. Animals were slaughtered hours before a meal, fish butchered before her very eyes and then on a plate within minutes, and bodies were buried with minimal fuss; just dig a hole deep enough to cover the corpse.

Perhaps, if Kou really thought about it and could debate morals and philosophy with another, there could be an argument made that her acceptance of violence in this life stemmed from her absence of a strong parental figure for the majority of her youth; more likely it was that she was the consciousness of an adult woman trapped in the body of another, in a world completely different from her own. Whatever the reasoning, moral arguments, or philosophical connotations; Kou had accepted violence as the answer to most of her problems by the age of seven. There was of course limits to what issue her fists could solve, but the girl found that a few good punches would at least make her feel better.

This weakness, because as far as Kourei is concerned her gained propensity for fists over words is a weakness, would be her downfall sooner or later. She knew this logically, one day her temper would get the best of her and she would end up in a fight she would not be able to win. But even as she tried to calm down, to think logically and use her intelligence, the only way she would be pulled from her violent fugue would sate her blood-lust.

The gaining of her unnatural and inexpiable powers only compounded on the call to violence that the woman felt. Now when her anger or frustration overtook her, the strange powers would respond to the stimuli in defense. This uncontrolled response would further frustrate Kourei, creating a vicious cycle of frustration and anger that would only be soothed with the expulsion of the maelstrom of emotions in an exhausting explosion.

This is why Kourei has resigned herself to violence as the answer to her problems, and why she knows she is unlikely to see the age of twenty at her current pace. Her body is in a constant state of flux, destruction, and growth fighting for control and her attention split among the many outside stimuli. The constant whispers that invade her hearing and dreams, the subtle pain that is felt in every scar that refuses to heal and re-opens at the loss of control over her powers, and the nightmares that plague her sleep. These distractions would lead to her death, this she knew. One day she was going to lose the battle with her powers and be consumed by the growing hunger inside. The energy would absorb her own life-force and leave her an empty husk, nothing more than a footnote in the story of this world.

Even with these thoughts constantly swimming in mind of Kou, she knew today would not be that day.

The sight of a cannonball flying in her direction should have frightened her beyond reason, but instead, the woman was able to shrug off the otherwise intimidating site and drop herself away from the line of fire. The shock wave and shrapnel did still hit her, cutting skin and bruising deep into her bones, but she was alive and clearly, if she wished to remain so then it was time to pull out the big guns.

Letting her legs sink into the broken ground, Kou could feel the gentle pulsing of life around her, the rich taste of disturbed soil and blood coating the back of her tongue. The rush of energy as she pulled the life-force from the trees and grass around her, the strengthening of her limbs and joints as the soil cracked and dried. At the feeling of her energy having been restored, her own blood rushing in her ears drowning out the pained whispers around her, Kourei pulled her legs from their entombment. Rolling her shoulders and cracking her loosening joints she couldn't help the vicious smile splitting across her face.

"Guess it's time to get serious then."

Shooting across the destroyed ground Kou could feel the rippling of her skin, splitting and parting for bark underneath as thorns ripped through her already torn dress. The muscles of her hands rippled, inch-long thorns pushing from between her knuckles as she curled her hands into fists.

Ducking under random swings of blades and limbs, the girl only had eyes for her prey, the damn clown that needed to be removed. She could see the fear in his eyes, that lovely glittering of realization that he had miscalculated. Cackling as her hair pulled free from its bindings and whipped around her face she charged on, fist cocked back to deliver a devastating blow.

"CHOP-CHOP ESCAPE!"

The damn coward sent his upper body away from his lower, avoiding Kou's punch to the face by making the target disappear. As Kou moved to kick the remaining legs, they flailed back and reconnected with the clown's upper body twenty feet away from where the girl now stood.

"HA, as if I would let you hit me!" Knives flicked out from the man's wrists, four in each hand, held between clenched fingers. The pirate kicked out his leg, revealing a wicked sharp blade hidden in his shoe. "Now it's my turn, Chop-chop Cracker."

Kou's eyes widened in surprise as she dodged the flying foot and hand, the blades barely missing her. Flipping backward and kicking off the ground she sent herself onto a roof, her footing barely stable as she was forced to dodge the returning limbs.

Leaping off the roof Kou sent herself spinning towards the pirate, her feet digging into the ground, sending cracked spider-webs from the impact as the man barely dodged.

Just as the man reassembled he sent out another barrage of flying bladed limbs, again calling out his attack. Kou was forced to continue dancing away from the gleaming blades as detached fists and feet flew from all directions. If she didn't have to take care not to waste her breath Kou may be tempted to thank her forethought as a child in maintaining her youthful flexibility. As it was even with her above average flexibility and speed the girl was barely able to avoid becoming a pincushion.

Buggy was facing a challenge against the girl as well, her continual dodging forcing the clown pirate to expend more energy than he was used to. Every time he had to reassemble his limbs and send them flying was another drop of stamina wasted on an attack that would not hit. There was also the fact that the girl's continual push, attacking recklessly and viciously anytime an opening in the clown's defenses appeared. The already destroyed dock was gaining an alarming number of craters from where the girl's foot or fist would connect with the ground. Writhing vines would emerge from wherever the clown stood too long, attempting to entangle and trap the man in a crushing grip.

Assembling again Buggy prepared to attack again, changing his tactic at the last second in the hopes of throwing off the girl.

"Chop-Chop Cannon." Sending a single fist flying at the girl with more speed than any previous attack Buggy smiled as the girl struggled to hold the knives mere inches from her face. Forcing another burst of energy through the disembodied fist the clown smiled in victory as the girl was sent backward, the feel of the blades cutting as they passed a satisfying sign of success.

Pulling his hand back to his body Buggy watched to see if the girl stood-up, still braced for any attack. As the girl sat up the clown couldn't help the laugh even as adrenaline pulsed in his ears. Shallow cuts lined the already ruined side of the girls face and a chunk of her ear was clearly missing, a knife having caught the helix of the ear and taken the flesh with it when the hand flew past. While Buggy would have felt victorious just from the minimal damage, what sealed the sight of victory for the clown was the girl's new hair. The shoulder length hair was loose and tangled from the fight, except the girl only had half a head of long hair. The side of her head that had become intimate with the knives now had choppy hair no longer than an inch or two. What had been thickly weighted waves became a spiky mess from the ‘chop-job'.

Kou lifted a trembling hand to her hair as the clown laughed. Shock coursed through the girl as she felt the short strands between grasping fingers, tugging at the hair as if to make it grow through brute force.

"GYAHAHAHAHA, what's wrong little girl, you gonna cry!?" Buggy laughed out as he watched the girl's lip begin to tremble. So caught in his gloating Buggy failed to realize when he overstepped. "You look just like a boy like that, suits you better than that rat's nest you call hair!"

Suddenly a cracking sound pulled the clown from his gloating. Looking down Buggy saw as much as he felt the vines crawling up his legs, crushingly tight and lined with sharp thorns. Panicking the pirate quickly detached himself from his trapped legs and watched in distress as his lower limbs became covered in writhing vines. The sight of his flailing legs covered in snaking green and the feeling of the thorns tearing at his clothes and skin was enough to make the pirate queasy.

"Hey Red-nose, think you can reform if your legs are crushed?" As the girl asked this she tightened the grip the vines had on said legs, the creaking of bones could be heard over the panicked pants of the clown.

The angry flush that crawled up the clown's neck at the nickname warred with the fearful reaction of his blood draining from his face. He knew the girl would do it, she would crush his legs and paralyze him for the rest of whatever miserable life she would force on him. Plan after plan was formulated and disposed of just as quickly. He had only two options, forfeit or attempt to scatter his legs into pieces far smaller than he has ever tried. Whatever decision the clown would have made, Kou had already made hers.

The sickening sound of bones breaking and Buggy's pained screams tore through the thick silence. Everyone on the battlefield watched in shock as the clown writhed in pain, his floating torso having fallen onto the ground from the shock and continual pain. This was far worse than any torture he had experience as a young pirate, worse than any injury he had received under Roger or as a captain himself. Buggy could feel as his bones broke, as ligament tore and skin shredded under the plant assault.

As the writhing vines rotted and dissolved from the ruined legs, the extent of the damage was revealed. Both legs were clearly broken judging from the unnatural angles they were bent at. The skin and flesh on the man's thighs and shins were bloody and in some places so deeply cut that he could see bone. The only parts of his lower body that appeared undamaged were his feet, the thick leather boots having protected the limbs from the thorns and pure luck having prevented the delicate bones within from being turned to dust.

"Reassemble." The demon-girl commanded the clown pirate, no pity or remorse in her expression, only a sick curiosity, and simmering fury.

Chocking on the pain the man attempted to comply with the demand, afraid of the consequences of failure. As he successfully reattached his lower and upper body the disconnected feeling from using the Chop-Chop fruit disappeared. A wave of pain crashed into the man, ripping another scream from his already abused throat. He wanted to disconnect from the pained limbs but before he had the chance his pain clouded mind registered a pressure wrapping around his body. Looking in terror the clown looked at the vicious smile splitting the demon's ruined lips as his body was consumed into the trunk of the tree that began to grow around him.

What felt like an eternity later, but had been mere seconds, the pirate was wrapped in a tree, only his head a few fingers free from the constricting wood. More terrifying than the fact he was now trapped in a living tree was what the vile demon said in a calm voice.

"Never tried that before, good to know it works though. Think I'll call it Living Coffin."  
With that Kourei wavered, her stance losing all support as her legs gave out from under her. Collapsing backward the girl was out cold before her head even hit the ground.

 

* * *

 

 

  
Zoro turned to observe the enemy swordsman. Both their captains were out of the fight, and while he may be the stronger between the two of them the other pirates clearly had numbers on their side. Perhaps numbers would have mattered if not for the fact that the enemies' morale was clearly as shattered as their captain's legs.

"Truce," Zoro stated as he sheathed his swords. "Your crew is free to take your captain and leave if you abandon whatever you stole from this island and leave me to take my captain."

"S-Sounds fair t-to me." The black-haired man similarly sheathed his weapons, moving away from the obviously idiotic man. If the green-haired man was willing to toss his lot in with that psychotic bitch, then it was his funeral and not Cabaji's concern.

As the black-haired swordsman moved to help his fallen comrades the other man walked over to the unconscious captains.  
The girl was out cold, her breathing deep and light snores leaving her mouth. Moving to pick up the girl, Zoro felt his wounds twinge as her weight was settled in his arms. Spotting a flash of orange from the corner of his eyes the man turned and found

Nami approaching the duo cautiously. Her arms were laden with stolen treasure, but not enough to draw suspicion.

"Seems you were busy." The man commented but otherwise left it at that.

"T-That was quite a display," Nami spoke after minutes of silence, her eyes darting towards the unconscious figure in the man's arms. It was clear what she was talking about. "Is she safe to be around?" Genuine concern passed over the girl's face.

Zoro could only grunt at the question. He was unsure himself on the answer, the girl in question was powerful beyond what Zoro had ever seen in the East Blue and prone to fits of pique, but she had never attacked him in all their time of travel. Yes, she called him names and would kick him, but those were done in playful manners, jokes between comrades and friends.

Would the same playful mannerisms be applied to the orange-haired girl if she became a traveling companion, even temporarily. Choosing not to respond to the girl's question Zoro simply pushed ahead, only coming to a stop when he was met by a mob of citizens in the town square.

Concerned voices mixed with angry questions. Questions about who they were, where was mayor Boodle, and where the pirates were. Zoro would have ignored the people if not for Nami nudging his side, pointedly looking at the unconscious girl. Heaving a tired sigh the man turned towards the mob.

"The pirates are taken care of, they should be gone from the island in an hour at most, once they can cut their captain free." Ignoring the rising voices and angry questions he continued uninterrupted. "My captain was severely hurt fighting to protect your town. I won't ask for medical help, only that you let us pass through safely."

"What of Mayor Boodle, his house was rubble when we went looking!"

"The old man foolishly thought to fight the pirates himself. He was alive but unconscious at the docks when we left. With some medical attention, he should be fine. Can we pass please."

Many angry voices rose at once, a number of which accusing Zoro and his captain of killing the mayor, among other offensive insinuations. Finally tired of the vitriol being directed at his captain and himself, Zoro pushed past the mob. While he was not physically stopped he noticed many people spitting on his feet as he passed.

Nami followed behind at a much more sedate speed, silence drawing between the two, thick and uncomfortable. The orange-haired girl didn't move to break the oppressive silence until their boats came in view. As the two approached the beached boats she spotted a red shape near what she assumed was the pirate duo's boat.

"Is that… a wolf?" Nami was surprised, but already her stress response was too exhausted to be more than that, surprised.

"Yeah, Sabi." At the name, the wolf perked up and watched the duo approach. "Kourei likes the beast for some reason, and it listens to her most of the time so I can't complain."

"But… it is a wolf, on a boat. What if it attacks you in your sleep?"

"Naw, she practically has the thing eating out of her hand. Sometimes literally."

The girl looked unconvinced but shrugged and simply walked around the now alert wolf, giving the half-tame creature a wide berth. As she approached her ship she noticed the distinctive smell of iron but was unable to locate where the smell was emanating from.

Zoro gave the wolf a once-over at the smell. The creature had moisture around its muzzle, staining the rust-colored fur into a deep burgundy. At least it wouldn't be hungry anytime soon. The man chose to selectively ignore the fact that he didn't know what exactly the wolf had chosen to eat and instead thank the moons that there was no evidence of said meal in either boat.

Calling the wolf into the boat as he laid his captain onto the deck the man gestured for the canine to rest near the sleeping girl.

Once the swordsman was confident that both his captain and the wolf were tucked in and unlikely to cause trouble he pulled out a large bundle of rope. Walking over to Nami's boat he cleared his throat to catch her attention.

"Here, use this to tie your boat to ours. Less likely to get separated or lost that way." Tossing a large section of rope to the girl Zoro turned back to his boat and tied the rough hemp length to the mast. Looking back at Nami once he was finished he found her looking at the rope contemplatively. "Do you need help tying it off?"

"No." Was the only reply received as the girl moved onto her ship. Zoro continued to watch as she tied her mast off with a solid knot of rope. He shrugged as he stepped onto the girl's boat, ignoring her screech of protest at the invasion of her little raft.

Giving the rope a few solid tugs Zoro nodded at the solid sailor's knot. Moving to inspect her ration store, again ignoring the girl smacking at his head and back with rather weak fists, Zoro found her boat had more than enough rations to last all four of them three weeks. Shaking his head the swordsman recalculated for his captain's ravenous appetite after such an expenditure of power. A week and a half of rations if they are careful, including whatever is left on their boat.

Turning to the yelling girl he caught her fists before they could connect with his face. Giving her a hard stare Zoro moved to feel her wrists and arms. Again ignoring her renewed screeching he found that the girl had solid arms, good for swinging around that Bo-staff he recalled her wielding at the docks. Also good for rowing. Releasing Nami's arms he watched her stumbled back and land on her rear. She looked startled with an undercurrent of fear.

Zoro scoffed, moving back towards his own boat and called back. "Trust me, you may be cute but you are far from my type." Looking back he found the girl had gained some fury in her expression, but still looked far too fearful for his taste. "And Kourei would kill me for touching you without consent, if you don't trust me about that then trust my captain to have my balls for pulling that shit."

Without looking back he could hear a chuckle leave the orange-haired girl at the promise of his captain's protection from such assaults. He grimaced to himself at the fact that the girl had feared such from him, but it did make her hatred of pirates all the clearer.

Sitting next to the unconscious form of his captain Zoro briefly touched the girl's butchered hair. She was gonna be so pissed when she woke up. He knew how attached the girl was to her hair, just from the fact she would spend almost an hour just brushing and attempting to tame the wild locks. He had offered to cut the tangled curls before and had almost lost a hand for it. It was surprising the girl hadn't outright killed the clown earlier for his mistake. Of course, having his legs mutilated was probably punishment enough.

Shaking off the thoughts the man moved to release the sail and settle in for a long night. Calling out to the other boat he couldn't help the smile as Nami swore up a storm as her sail got tangled. At least he wouldn't get bored.

 

* * *

 

 

  
Kou was still unconscious by the time the sun rose, signaling the start of another day. Zoro was beginning to worry but didn't want to alert Nami yet. The only reason it seemed that the girl hadn't cut her rope yet and left the two pirates sailing aimlessly was her fear of the two and any retribution a betrayal may gain her.

Chewing on a piece of hard-tack and jerky the man debated his options. If the captain didn't awaken soon then they would have to find an inhabited island soon just to get medical attention for the girl. Medicine costs money though, and that was something they were lacking. Well, he and Kou didn't have two coins to rub together, Nami clearly had more than enough loot and gold from what she stole from the Buggy Pirates.

Nudging the unconscious form with the tip of his foot, he let out a snort when the girl turned to snuggle against his leg. The girl was far more tactile than was probably common in a pirate, and definitely what Zoro would expect from such a powerhouse. It was scary to realize that the girl was only seventeen, with the amount of power held inside her small form. It was even more concerning to the swordsman that she had such poor control over her powers, he didn't want to lose the girl.

Zoro felt himself jolt in shock, was he really that attached to the girl already? Thinking over the idea for a few minutes the man nodded to himself. Yes, he found the girl to be a solid presence in his thoughts, a constant undercurrent or concern and emotions focused on his captain. She was far from the center of his attention, and he was still going to be the best swordsman in the world and would kill the girl if she ever got in the way of his dream, but he knew she would never stop him from reaching his goal. Kourei would be more likely to throw herself on his swords before stopping him from chasing his dream.

The King of Pirates would of course only have the best at her side, so maybe it was just common sense to the girl that Zoro become the greatest swordsman if he is to remain her first-mate.

Shaking all these unnecessary thoughts from his head Zoro turned to look over at Nami's boat. The girl was watching them, more accurately she was staring at the girl drooling on his pant-leg. He could see a smirk cross the teen's face as she moved her gaze to his face. Wiggling her fingers at him she winked and rowed closer.

"Seems sleeping beauty there found a nice pillow."

"Yeah, you wanna trade, you play pillow and I steer."

"Not on your life, one of us knows how to read a map and it is not you. Plus she seems comfortable."

Zoro grunted at the girl, she wasn't wrong but he still didn't have to feed her growing smirk by responding. Just as he was about to turn and ignore the orange-haired teen there was an increased pressure on his leg. Looking down he found Kourei pushing her face into his shin, a grimace twisting her lax face into a toothy pout.

Blinking her wide eyes, sleep crust falling away as Kourei rubbed a fist against her face, she looked up. There were Zoro's brown eyes looking at her with relief. Seems she caused her swordsman some concern. Grimacing as her joints and muscles popped in protest the girl moved to stretch.

Pulling her arms above her head Kou let out a deep sigh as her vertebrae released and a loud pop-pop-pop cracked from her body. Twisting to pull her legs up and stretch the sleep sore muscles she found another pair of brown eyes staring. The orange-haired girl from before was on a boat tied to theirs.

"Hey Zoro, when did we get another crew-member?" Kou watched the other girl, waiting for a reply. When none was forthcoming from either Zoro or the other girl Kou just shrugged and returned to her stretching. The silence stretched on until finally, Nami broke the growing tension.

"I'm Nami, we met earlier. Remember?"

Kou turned to look at the girl, looking strange as she was bent in half across her own legs. "Yeah, you tricked Zoro. Pretty funny if you ask me, but then again no one asked me." Turning to throw a glare at the man in question, Kou froze as he hair on her left was much shorter than she recalled. Jolting upright the girl threw her hands up to her head, grasping the loose strands of black hair. Her right side was as she remembered, a semi-tangled nest of waves and curls that was salt damaged. It was her left side, her already mutilated half that was now further exposed by the lack of hair; short spikes of hair met her groping finger.

Tears bubbled in the girl's eyes and her lip trembled. Letting out an ugly snort as she attempted to stop the waterworks she turned at the sound of a throat clearing. Looking over at the sound she found a nervous looking Nami. Kou sniffled she watched the uncomfortable girl.

"I-I can clean that up if you want." Nami was nervous at offering to cut the girl's hair, clearly, she was very attached to the messy rats-nest. Even through her nervousness, she felt a twinge of female sympathy at the other teen's loss.

Kou stared at the other girl, looking for deception and only finding sympathy and nervousness. Letting out another loud snort she nodded and scooted to pull the other boat closer. She would have to trust her new crew member sooner or later anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some exposition, in the beginning, to give you a better idea of Kou's character. I just felt that Kou's acceptance and drive to violence needed to be explained.
> 
> I love exploring and growing Kou's Devil Fruit powers and expanding her battle moves. She really is mostly a brawler type due to her childhood, but I think due to her past from the Before she can think of some very cruel ways to use her powers.
> 
> Yes, there is an implied tension between Nami and Zoro in this chapter because, as I have said before, in this story pirates are actual pirates with all the dark aspects that entail. Obviously, Zoro would never do that, but it is still a legitimate fear for any woman. And women in One Piece probably have an increased risk of such attacks from pirates.
> 
> A brighter note, Kou and Nami have a cute show of trust.


	18. Tamarind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Introducing the bravest man in the world, Usopp!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Gender dysphoria, implied depression, implied abandonment

Kourei tugged at her choppy hair. Nami had tried her best, but with so little left to work with the teen was lucky to even have the messy pixie-cut she now wore. The many cowlicks twisting across her scalp made it so the hair refused to sit in any semblance of order and it became clear why she had preferred to wear her hair in a longer style. Gravity could force the hair to at least behave like it wasn't trying to escape her head.

Kou also knew her face was not feminine looking at all with her noticeable scars, widening jaw, and the start of what she knew would one day become stubble. This combined with her very obvious lack of curves that all other girls her age would be growing made it all the more clear that she was not, in fact, a proper teen girl.

She hated having short hair.

Frustrated and tired of her self-deprecating thoughts Kou turns to listen to Nami and Zoro argue.

"I told you, if you want to even make it to the Grand Line you'll need a real ship, not these dinky boats you idiots have been sailing on for moons know how long."

"And again I gotta ask, where are we gonna get a nice big old boat you keep harping about?"

"You're the pirates, why don't you just steal one!?"

Kou snickered as she listened to the two other teens. They had been arguing in circles for hours now, only taking breaks from going at each other's throats to eat and nap. Letting out a jaw-cracking yawn the black-haired captain turned to take a nap herself when she spotted land in the distance. Letting out another snicker Kou sucked in a huge breath before yelling at the top of her lung.

"LAND HO!"

The girl's yell startled the other two so bad that Zoro began choking on the drink of water he had just taken and Nami dropped the oar she had clearly been planning on hitting the man with. Falling onto her back as laughter shook her Kou heard the two yell at her but couldn't stop laughing until Nami brained her with a wooden oar.

Rubbing at the growing goose egg on her head Kou grumbled half-hardheartedly at the orange-haired teen as said girl steered the two boats towards the island.

Leaning to snuggle into Sabi's furred flank Kou continued grumbling incoherently. She could admit to becoming tired of the endless sailing for days straight, in part due to the tense atmosphere between Nami and Zoro as well as the small space they were stuck in. While Kou was pretty good at ignoring other people's lack of comfort and unfriendly feelings towards herself, it was harder to ignore the venom Nami would direct at Zoro. While the man could be annoying at times Kou couldn't recall him having done anything to make the other girl so uncomfortable in her presence.

The fact that the orange-haired teen seemed more relaxed around Kourei, to the point of throwing things at the girl, was most shocking. It had been so long since Kou had female companionship with someone her same physical age that she couldn't quite remember how such interactions were supposed to play out. With Makino, it had been easy to act more like a child under the older woman's mothering tendencies. Dadan had been gruff and less nurturing but still had the undercurrent of parental care that made it easy to act like a child, especially with her brothers to give her an idea of what was proper childlike behavior. Kit's hero worship had been difficult to maneuver around but had allowed Kou more freedom in her behavior as it was difficult to upset the woman with anything outside of murder. She doubted even murder would have driven the woman away.

This is what made Nami and even Zoro more difficult to predict. They were teenagers, if barely in Zoro's case, and knew what other normal teens acted like. What was normal for a teenage girl, especially one who aspired to become the King of the Pirates, was just too much of an unknown. Kou couldn't giggle about boys or fashion with Nami, not that she had the urge to do either, and the red-head teen seemed more focused on accumulating wealth and avoiding talk of piracy. Well, she avoided talking about piracy to the extent of accusing Zoro and by extension Kou of being tolerable for pirates.

Such slanderous talk had earned the girl shunning for a whole day until she agreed that the duo were, in fact, the scourge of the sea and deserved to be executed on the spot for their acts of piracy. Her eye rolling during the speech about the duo's absolute depravity and villainy was unnecessary but Kou could grant leniency and accepted the apology with grace and tact.  
If by grace and tact one meant a number of raspberries and ghoulish pouting. Zoro hadn't cared either way but figured that playing along with the captain would keep the girl away from darker thoughts.

In an attempt to try an act more like a regular teen girl Kou had taken to her more childish behaviors, teasing Zoro and making jokes and puns when the opportunity presented itself. Even Nami wasn't safe from the occasional poke. Any red-head and ginger joke that Kou could recall was thrown the girl's way, and the fact that a number garnered a giggle from the orange-haired teen was incentive enough to continue with the jokes. Dadan had never taken kindly to jokes about her hair, but the one joke that garnered a laugh from both gingers was by far Kou's favorite; if only because it had made both Dadan and Nami laugh so hard that they snorted.

Zoro was easier to make laugh but that was perhaps only because the man was humoring Kou. Either way, he let her get away with far more than was smart. Zoro allowed the girl to make jokes at his expense and even nodded along to her ramblings whenever she talked about random facts or thoughts that popped into her head.

Turning over to watch as their boats approached land, Kou's fingers twitched to rise and pick her nose. Steering her bored fingers away from her nose she fondled her now chipped ear. The sting of salt in the cracking scabs made her wince but she didn't pull her hand away from her ear. She was pissed that the damn clown had even landed such a hit on her, but already she could feel what had once been an uncontrollable fury simmer into passing loathing. The bastard had left his mark, but she had given it back ten-fold and already she could feel herself letting go of the anger. While she was certainly quick to anger now, Kou realized she was just as quick to release the negative emotions after the proper application of violence.

Snorting in derision the teen was unhappy to discover she was closer to following the Buddhist tenants she had strove so hard to follow in the Before. Still nowhere close to a proper practitioner, but it was still darkly funny. A pirate made a better Buddhist than a government scientist.

Pulled from her thoughts as the boats reached land Kou moved to stand, using Zoro as leverage against gravity. The man didn't flinch or even stumble from the sudden weight, the bastard. Using a drop of power Kou made the boat grow a sudden loop of wood around the man's foot, causing him to face plant as he tried to step off onto the beach.

Cackling as her first-mate ate sand the girl moved to help Nami off her boat. Nami hesitated for a second before accepting the help onto dry land. Smiling Kou proceeded to pull the other girl into a twirl, laughing as the girl screeched in surprise.

"Hey idiots, we got company." Zoro was such a party pooper sometimes. Looking over at her first-mate Kou found he was crouched into a battle stance, a sword ready to be drawn at a moments notice. Taking stock of the surrounding cliff and forests Kou could only snort as dozens of small Jolly Rogers were erected.

"You pirates better leave!" Looking up Kou spotted the person who had spoken. Startled the girl shook her head before taking stock of the boy as he continued spouting non-sense about an 80-million strong crew.

In all her seventeen years of living in this new world, she had only seen a handful of people resembling what she recalled from Before as being referred to as ‘African-decent'; Kit had been one, and Yasopp another. Tight, springy curls, darker skin far deeper than any tan Kou could have ever achieved, and thicker more prominent lips. At the mention of the ‘Usopp Pirates' Kou let out a cackle, startling both her crew and the little boys hiding in the bushes with the moving flags.

At the curious looks thrown at her laughing form by Zoro and Nami, the girl knew she had to explain what was so funny but just couldn't catch her breath. Suddenly there were pachinko balls flying at her feet and Kou had to focus on protecting the bare appendages. The jingling of her jewelry made the scene all the more humorous to an outsider, and both Zoro and Nami cracked smiles at the sight of the girl jumping around. Served her right for all the jokes she made while they were stuck on a boat with the bratty captain.

"Don't you laugh at the Usopp Pirates. I, as the bravest captain, am the best shot in the world and could kill you with just a slingshot!" The boy's legs were shaking like leaves in a tornado.

Nami felt the blood drain from her face, unsure what the unpredictable girl would do at such a threat. Her fear was misplaced for once as all the black-haired girl did was begin laughing again. That was until the branches of the tree Usopp was standing in front of suddenly wrapped the liar into a ‘tree-hug' pinning his arms to his sides.

"Shishishi, you sure are brave aren't ‘cha?" Kou walked up the small path on the cliff face to stand next to the struggling boy. Leaning into his personal space the girl smiled, pulling at the scars on her lips as another cackle left her. Poking the boy on his exceptionally long nose she released the tree's hold on him with a ‘boop' sound effect. The sudden absence of branches caused the boy to flail forward into Kou's awaiting arms. As she dipped the shocked boy Kou couldn't help telling a little lie of her own.

"You are falling for me faster than your dad did."

The boy's widening eyes, his spluttering was priceless and made Kou laugh so hard she dropped the teen. The boy stared up at the madly laughing girl as she clutched her sides. Processing what had been said Usopp sat up suddenly.

"You know my dad?!"

"Haha yeah, he is -ha- part of Sh-Shanks cr- wheeze- crew." Kou's explanation was scattered with her giggling but Usopp understood what the girl said. She knew Red-Haired Shanks well enough to just call the man, one of the Four Emperor, ‘Shanks'. She had met Usopp's father and recognized the family resemblance enough to tease him.

Eyes widening comically, Usopp realized the girl would have stories, could tell him about some of his father's adventures and maybe even tell him where the man might be right now.

"Are you hungry, there is a restaurant in town if you want to tell me some stories about my dad."

Well, who was Kou to turn down food? Shrugging she motioned towards her crew of two and a wolf. "As long as they can tag along, can't leave my own crew to starve now can I?"

Ignoring the shouts of "Not part of your damn crew" and "There better be booze" Kou pulled Usopp's arm into her own and began skipping towards the visible town, dragging the spluttering boy along. She was just so happy to find another sea-child like herself; a brother-in-arms, quite literally at the moment.

 

 

* * *

 

 

"… and he bought the whole bar a round of beer and even got me another plate of grilled fish! Shanks was so mad about being one-upped by your dad that he tried to buy the next round but instead of beer he ended up paying for a whole round of Top-Shelf North Blue Wine!" Giggling at the memory of Shanks' face at the mix-up, Kou felt lighter than she had in years. She had forgotten what the peacefulness of her childhood had been like, the memories had become fuzzy overtime but recalling some of her favorite stories made her smile unconsciously. Usopp's own matching smile only made Kou that much happier to have met the boy. Sea-children needed to stick together because no one else would have their backs otherwise.

Ordering a plate of a whole grilled chicken Kou continued to gesticulate as she began another story about Shanks and his crew teaching her to swim. Kicking her feet against the bar she chewed on her meal between sentences Kou could literally feel her spirit lifting as she brought up memories of her childhood in Foosha. Looking over at the delicately eating Nami and drinking Zoro she felt her smile grow. The only time the two seemed to get along was when food was involved. Kourei was pulled from her thoughts about the two teens by Usopp.

"So you are the captain of your crew?" Wide brown eyes stared at Kou with glittering wonder and anticipation at the girl's answer.

"I guess," breaking a cleaned beef bone to suck out the marrow she continued, "Zoro calls me captain and Nami agreed to temporarily join us so I am technically the captain." Ending her sentence in a disgusting slurp she nodded as if to confirm her own claim.

"So do you guys have a real ship, an honest pirate ship!?"

Laughing at Usopp's question the girl almost fell off her stool. "Shishishi, Abyss no! I am not dumb enough to try and enter the Grand Line without a proper ship!" Giggling the teen continued, "We are actually looking for a good ship right now."

"Well I know that there is a really wealthy girl living on the mansion on the hill, her parent died last year so she inherited all the wealth. She might have a ship she would sell to you!"

Nami interrupted the boy to catch Kou's attention. "Kourei, we should probably just resupply and move on to the next island, this idiot probably doesn't even know the name of this supposed rich girl."

"HEY!" Usopp looked offended at Nami's doubt, so much so that Kou let out another giggle. Turning to properly face the other girl Kou nodded, "We can at least stay the night, yeah?" Moving to steal off Zoro's plate the girl continued. "I want to sleep on a real bed for once, plus I gotta clean up Sabi's crate."

Nami's lip curled at the mention of the wolf and its ‘crate' but she nodded at the captain's request. She had missed sleeping on a real bed just as much as Kou and might be able to gather some information while staying the night.

"Wooh!" Jumping from her stool Kou moved to hug Nami, stopping short at the icy glare the girl threw at her. Switching target the teen moved to steal Zoro's whole plate while he was drinking his beer. Shoveling the food into her mouth Kou watched as Usopp left the restaurant. She could catch up with the boy later, right now she wanted to eat good food, and then sleep in a real bed.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Sitting on a cliff next to a quite Usopp, Kou thought about the past hour. She had been curious about the mansion on the hill, but Zoro had been more than content to stay and drink the bar dry. Nami had agreed to tag along, but Kou was pretty sure it was so she could case the place.

Either way, the duo had found the mansion and were able to just walk through the front gate, which had made Nami extraordinarily happy.

Kou's awe at the giant house and the beautiful paintings and furniture within had been quick to dampen at the sound of Usopp yelling. Running in the direction of the raised voices Kou had been startled to find that the dark-haired boy had punched a man dressed in fine clothes. She had discovered quickly that the man had been the lady of the house's butler, and that said lady of the house was, in fact, Usopp's friend.

The butler's holier-than-thou attitude had rubbed Kou the wrong way, but she had been far more upset at the man forbidding Usopp from visiting his friend, again.

Such arrogance rubbed her the wrong way, reminding her of the nobles and High Town residence of Goa. They were the people who would spit at her and the other ruffian children running through town and in the same breath buy drugs and bodies from the girl. Hypocrites who thought just because of ‘better breeding' that they were entitled to respect for just breathing. The greasy looking butler had the same air about him as if he was just born better than her or Usopp.

Pulled back into the present Kou knew how to cheer up the depressed Usopp.

"Did you know your dad could shoot the cap off a sake jug from 100 meters?"

"… No, could he really?"

"Yup, made me balance the damn thing on my head and told me to stand still. He didn't even tell me what he was doing, just walked away and suddenly BAM!" Clapping her hands for emphasis Kou continued. "I was so startled that the jug fell and covered me in sake. Shanks laughed so hard he choked on his own stupid tongue, but your dad, oh he made me so mad. He said I needed better reflexes and then pushed me into the shallows."

"So he is really the best sniper… and a great pirate."

"Yup, but you wanna hear a secret?" Usopp leaned forward in curiosity, nodding his head. Giggling Kou also leaned forward, as if telling a very important secret. "He kept a pocket watch hidden away, and once let me look inside. Wanna know what was inside?"

A very enthusiastic nod was the answer she received from the boy. "Inside was a picture of what Yasopp said was ‘the most beautiful woman ever' and an adorable little brat with the longest nose I had ever seen. He told me that they were the greatest treasures he had ever found." Ending in a whisper Kou watched as Usopp's eyes became misty.

Smiling the girl moved to pull the now crying boy into a hug. For such a prolific liar she was surprised he hadn't called her out. Then again, what was a little white lie between sea children?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So we now are in Syrup Village, and Usopp is now introduced. This arc will be pretty short I think, two more chapters at the most if I keep a steady pace in the story.
> 
> A few terms that will be cropping up more often in the story that I should probably explain. 'Moons' is a replacement for 'God(s)' due to world building that will be important later in the story (maybe). Sea-Children/Sea-Brat/etc is a way of referring to a child who was abandoned by one or both parents and just means that sea was more of a parent to the child than their actual family. I do have more slang and terms I am working into the story to subtly flesh out my world building, so that is a thing.
> 
> Also yes, the fact that Usopp is a mixed heritage child is pretty obvious, and Oda had a very distinctive way of drawing black/African characters that makes it clear that Usopp is not white. Also, you know that SBS where he straight up said that he 'headcanons' Usopp as African. That was a thing. I need more diversity in my media damn it and One Piece at least tries to deliver. Thank you Oda for your diversity in character designs, it brings me life.


	19. Soursop

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Canon Violence, depressing/self-deprecating thoughts

Holding the hands of the gently crying boy, Kou smiled as his tears petered off. It made her mildly uncomfortable, dealing with crying people, but she wouldn't mock the boy for his tears.

Looking past the boy's shoulder to watch the sunset she noticed two figures on the beach down below. Frowning, she recognized the sleazy butler from before. Pulling the boy back into the more shadowed area of the cliff, she shushed Usopp before he could ask what was wrong. Closing her eyes and focusing on what the butler and the strange man with heart-shaped glasses were discussing, she could barely decipher what was being discussed.

At the mention of the name ‘Captain Kuro' her eyes opened into a glare and she pulled Usopp closer, covering his mouth as she pulled the branches around them. Listening to the two men plan to kill off Usopp's sickly friend and steal her fortune made the girl grind her teeth. She knew the damned sea slug was the worst kind of person.

Whispering into Usopp’s ear Kou planned how to approach the unsavory situation.

“Usopp I need you to be as quiet as possible and sneak back to the village. Find Zoro and tell him to take Sabi to the mansion. Tell him about Kuro’s,” the name was said in hissing disdain, “plan, he’ll know what to do. Don’t tell anyone else but Zoro and Nami.”

Releasing the boy from her hold the girl crawls forward to further spy on the two planning men. Listening to the sound of Usopp's retreating footsteps she felt the skin along her arms and hands ripple; the silvery wood grain scars along her skin wiggled as if in anticipation. Watching small spines pierce through the delicate skin between her knuckles Kou felt a wicked smile curve along her face. Maybe she could play a little game of tag until she could catch up with her crew.

Watching the slimy rat Kuro turn to walk towards the shore and the other man walk towards the village Kou decided to mess with the one with the stupid heart glasses, Jango. Letting go of her concentration on stopping plush grass from sprouting in her steps, the girl followed the trenchcoat-clad pirate. Silently and draped in the shadows cast by the small trees along the path she stalked the man.

As she stalked the man she wiggled her fingers, feeling the roots of the trees extend under the dirt path. Once the roots reached an appropriate length she flicked her fingers upwards. The roots lifted and buckled, making the once smooth dirt path suddenly uneven and causing the man to trip on an exposed root. Watching the pirate face-plant was satisfying, but Kou still felt ‘playful'. Hooking her fingers into a claw she smirked at the sight on the man flailing as the thin roots wrapped around his ankles and legs.

Jango ripped himself free from the possessed roots and pulled out one of his many hypnotic rings. Wildly looking around to identify his attacker the pirate was unable to locate anybody. Suddenly his feet were pulled out from under him and Jango found himself suspended upside-down. The branches of a tree wrapped around his ankles in a vice grip. Horrified he tried to pull himself loose, only to hear giggling coming from the surrounding trees. Watching the trees and plants sway without any breeze, he heard a voice that would haunt his nightmares for years to come.

“Why don't you hang around for a little while, get comfortable. I am sure someone will find you in a few hours."

And with that Jango was alone, with only the haunting sound of fading laughter and rustling leaves for company.

  


* * *

  


Usopp was unsure how Kaya would react to him coming back to the mansion with a strange man and a wolf. He already knew Merry would be very unhappy, but Kaya’s safety was the only thing that mattered at the moment. Running to catch up with the green-haired man as they walked up the hill, Usopp gave the loping predators a wide berth.

“Is that animal safe to leave with Kaya?”

Zoro shrugged and looked over at the nervous teen. “If Kou thinks that Sabi can guard your friend while we fight the pirates, then we gotta trust that her plan will work.”

“You think your gonna have to fight pirates!?”

Zoro snorted at the shocked boy's expression and kept walking without answering. Listening to Usopp try and wheedle out of the fight. He already figured that it would only be him and Kou doing most of the fighting, Nami certainly wouldn't be inclined to throw her lot in with them. Usopp had some skills as a sharpshooter, but Zoro doubted the boy had ever shed blood before in the way he knew his captain was likely to do. The girl was a demon in battle, all burning fires and boiling bloodlust.

Usopp was certainly a liar, and cowardly in a way that made Zoro doubt his captain’s taste in companions, but the boy also had eyes free from the guilt carried by killers. Pushing the thought aside, Zoro decided to wait until he met with Kou to discuss her battle plans and what to do with Usopp.

Coming up to the gates of the mansion the swordsman found that there were guards. Snorting as the two men became alert and moved towards their swords, he let Usopp walk ahead.

“H-Hey Iki, Tomma; is Kaya awake, I came to apologize. I brought her a... dog... to keep her company and as an apology."

The men stared between Usopp, Zoro, and the ‘dog' between the two boys. One of the men snorted. "Usopp the Liar, apologizing, know I've heard everything. That dog doesn't look very friendly to me."

“Tomma, be nice, you know Kaya likes her little story weaver. And the beast looks tame enough. You know little Usopp would never hurt her anyway."

The men shared a look and moved to let Usopp inside but quickly stepped forward to stop Zoro. Blocking the swordsman’s path, the men glared down at the green-haired man.

“Usopp can go in, we don’t know you so you can stay out here.”

Zoro shrugs and lets out a sharp whistle. Sabi continues to lope past the staring men towards Usopp, nipping at the teen's heels to keep the boy moving. Before turning back to walk towards the town he called out to Usopp. "Meet you at the inn."

Usopp continued walking towards Kaya’s house, the panting wolf following on his heels. Shivering at the feeling of humid breath on his legs, Usopp kept repeating to himself ‘for Kaya, for Kaya, for Kaya’. The clicking of nails on the polished marble was the only other sound aside from the boy’s mumbling. Approaching the door to Kaya’s bedroom he took in a deep breath and knocked.

“Come in," Kaya called out gently, her feminine voice cracking slightly.

Usopp frowned as he entered the room, she sounded worse than she had earlier that day, like she had just finished having a fit. His frown only deepens at the sight of how pale Kaya was.

Kaya tries to fight the smile from her face at the sight of her best friend, she was supposed to be mad at him for hitting Klahadore. Forcing a frown onto her face, looking more like a pout rather than an actual angry expression, she tried to scold her friend.

“Usopp, you better be here to apologize.” Pulling one of her plush pillows into her lap, Kaya picked at a loose thread while watching Usopp fidget.

“Uhm, well...” he was hesitating, unsure of what to say. Kourei’s words echoing in his mind, telling him to not Kaya about Klahadore’s, Kuro’s, plan. “My friend from before, Kourei the girl with the scar,” at this Usopp gestured to his own face. “She uhm...” inspiration struck, “She has a pet wolf-dog that is very good at healing, and she told me to bring it here so you could get better!”

Motioning for the red wolf to move forward, the large canine moseyed to the edge of Kaya's bed and plopped its furry head onto the girl's lap. Usopp held his breath waiting for the sickly girl's response to the wolf. At the sight of Kaya cooing at the beast and scratching behind the rust-red ears, Usopp let out a relieved sigh.

After many minutes of the girl petting the wolf, she grinned up at her friend. “I feel better already!”

Usopp let out a relieved laugh and moved to sit next to his friend. Hesitantly he reached to hold the girl’s hand that had been resting on her pillow.

“I am sorry.”

“Oh silly Usopp, I was never angry at you.” Giggling Kaya pulled the boy into a gentle hug and continued. “You are my best friend, I could never stay upset with you.”

Burying his face into the girl’s blonde hair the boy whispered in response, “I know, and that’s why I’m sorry.”

  


 

* * *

  


Nami watched the short-haired girl bouncing on the other bed in the room, giggling at random moments and burying her head in the plush pillows. Tired of listening to the muffled laughter from the scary girl Nami moved to stand, brushing the wrinkles from her skirt.

“So are you going to tell me what your plan is, or are you just going to stay here and giggle the night away?”

Kou's head popped up and her eyes locked onto Nami. Smiling and rolling off the bed to stand the teen bounced on the balls of her bare feet. Clapping her hands she bounced towards the red-head and moved to pull the girl along. Nami was hesitant to follow the teen, but sighed and resigned herself to being dragged along.

“Can I ask where we are going, or are you going to ignore that question too?”

A giggle was the only answer she received as she was dragged by the pirate. Sighing at the sight of the village's only restaurant came into view, Nami pinched Kou's hand. Pinching and pulling at the thin skin on the hand gripping her own the red-head waited for the pirate captain to come to a stop. The curious look she received made her let out another explosive sigh.

“How exactly are you going to pay for your meal if we go into there?”

"Well I thought yo-" Nami did not let Kou even finish her sentence, the girl's glare making Kou drop her hand and back away with her hands held in self-defense.

"The only reason I paid for lunch and our rooms is because I also ate some food and will be sleeping in one of those beds."

Kou nodded as if agreeing, but Nami could already see the girl’s eyes drift back towards the restaurant. Scowling she moved to pinch the un-scarred cheek of the distracted girl. Pulling Kourei away towards a fenced grass area, pushing the girl to sit against a post to keep track of the black hole in the shape of a girl. Kou looked towards the restaurant forlornly but remained seated where Nami had placed her.

Both girls were keeping an eye out for Zoro, at different levels of focus; Kou was mostly distracted from her power-high from earlier, Nami split her focus between keeping track of Kou and waiting for the swordsman to finish whatever Kou had told him to do.

At the sight of the approaching head of green hair, Nami perked up, happy that Kou's actual handler was back. The girl was not as terrible as Nami had feared at first, but it was exhausting to keep track of the pirate.

Zoro moved to sit next to Kou and both he and the girl looked up at Nami expectantly. Nami sighed at the looks and sat on the other side of the pouting girl.

“So… you are a trouble magnet.” Nami looked over at said magnet, spotting a scowl that crawled across the scarred mouth at the accusation.

“You really do know how to find trouble, captain.” Zoro leaned against the post, his arms stretched up to put his hands behind his head. He should have expected the sudden elbow to the ribs that knocked the breath out of him. Wheezing he glared at the two giggling sea witches. All three teens straightened up at the sound of a throat clearing.

Usopp was watching the three interact, his eyes red-rimmed and knees wobbly. Kou stood up quickly, pulling the nervous boy into a supporting hug as he collapsed into himself. Sitting the boy onto a soft spot of grass, the girl let a drop of her power escape, making the mat of grass all four were sitting on grow thicker and plush. Digging her fingers into the soil, waiting for the boy to collect himself.

Usopp inhaled a deep, shaky breath and finally broke the silence. "If we are going to fight to protect Kaya and the village, we need a plan." Looking over each of the pirates, in turn, he tried to formulate a strategy. "What exactly are you three able to do?"

“I am good at cutting.” Zoro yawned as he jostled the swords at his hip.

"I can steal anything you need," Nami replied, looking anywhere but the dark-skinned boy.

“…” Kou's silence stretched for a few minutes as the others turned to look at her expectantly. What could she say, she could grow things, but she could also kill just as easily. At least Zoro could use the blunt side of his blades. She really only was useful as a killer. Nami and Usopp seemed smart enough that they could make a plan and strategy without her input. What was the point of knowing you’re intelligent when you were better used as a cannon to take out enemies with blunt force? Shaking off the darkening thoughts Kou leaned forward and forced a goofy smile across her face.

“Just point me at the enemies and I can bash them in good!” Emphasizing the point as she hit her fist into her palm.

Usopp smiled at the girl, relieved to have her on his side and ready to help. “Alright, here is the plan…”

  


* * *

 

  


Tipping the barrel of grease, Kou let out an echoing cackle as Nami curled her lips in disgust. Usopp and Zoro were tipping there own respective barrels, but the darker boy had insisted that the girls share the job of tipping a single barrel, after all, they are ‘delicate girls'. Kou cackled again at the thought of being ‘delicate’ as she kicked Usopp's barrel out of the boy's hands, making the wooden cylinder break and pour grease down the slope as well as splattering the boy. Smiling at the squawking response her action received, Kou skipped over to the final barrel and tipped it to finish coating the hill-side.

Kou patted her hands against the back of Zoro’s shirt to wipe off any excess grease, dodging the elbow thrown her way in retaliation. As she and the swordsman played keep away with her face and the man’s fists, Usopp and Nami watched the horizon.

"Where are they? It is morning. You positive they said they were attacking at sunrise?" Nami was nervous at the lack of visible silhouettes along the horizon.

“Yeah, Khlah-Kuro told the weird guy with him to attack at dawn.”

“… The weird guy that Kourei strung-up like wet laundry?”

The two shared a look before looking back at the laughing Kou. Zoro finally caught the girl and was holding her in a headlock as he dug his knuckles into her scalp.

“Hey Kou,” Usopp called out to catch the girl’s attention. “What happened to that guy that was with Kuro?”

“Huh?” Slipping out from Zoro’s hold Kou stood and kicked her foot out, knocking the swordsman onto his back. Tilting her head and squinting her eyes the girl seemed to be focusing on something for a few seconds. “He got loose sometime last night I think.”

Suddenly Nami shushed everybody. “Did you guys hear that?”

The three other teens strained to listen. Hearing nothing they shrugged but the orange-haired girl heard more of the sounds.

“Usopp… are you sure this is the only path into town?”

“This is where they talked about their plans…" Silence stretched for a minute between the teens, broken at Usopp's exclamation. "SHIT! We oiled the wrong path!” The boy panicked as he came to the realization.

Silence met this exclamation. Suddenly Nami bolted in the direction of the north docks, yelling “My treasure!” as she ran. Zoro and Usopp moved to follow the girl, the quick movements startling Kou. Pinwheeling her arms to try and maintain her balance, the foot she had kicked through a barrel earlier slipped across the ground. Falling back the girl let out a string of expletives as the two boys left her in the dust while she slipped down the slope. Having the breath knocked out of her as her back met the ground made Kou let out an unpleasant groan.

Staring up at the sky as she felt the beginning of bone-deep bruises forming along her spine Kou could only let out a single word. “Fuck...”

 

* * *

 

  


Zoro, Usopp, and Nami found the Black-cat Pirates were already storming the beach, cutlasses drawn and charging towards the village. Zoro let out a snort at the sight of grown men wearing cat-ears but still prepared himself for fighting, hands ready to draw his swords the moment the enemies were in cutting range. Even Usopp and Nami had their weapons prepared, though Zoro doubted the two would be the best at an all-out brawl that so many enemies was guaranteed to lead to.

“D-DON’T TAKE A STEP FURTHER!” Usopp yelled at the pirates, causing the men to stop and stare at the three at the top of the path. “I HAVE A MILLION MEN READY TO ATTACK! TURN BACK NOW!”

Zoro and Nami were shocked when the apparent captain of the pirates actually believed the shit that Usopp was yelling. Of course, the other pirates didn't bite and were quick to inform the captain that the boy was lying.

The sudden yell from one of the men alerted everyone that the two small boats were being raided. A man was holding Nami’s bag of treasure, and the girl was clearly pissed as the pirate announced the value.

"Why do you have four-million Beri in a sack?" Zoro asked as Usopp screamed, "FOUR-MILLION BERI!"

Nami ignored the boys as she glared daggers at the pirates. She knew she couldn't take an army of pirates alone, but damn if it wasn't tempting. At this moment she sympathized with Kou's apparent lack of restraint in battle. Well, only a little, Nami mostly just wanted to beat up the man holding her treasure, the other pirates were secondary.

“Charge them, men!" Jango yelled at the pirate crew, pushing them into motion. "Remember that failure means Captain Kuro'll kill us all!"

Even with the threat of death by Kuro, the men still fell swiftly under Zoro’s swords. The few pirates that were missed by the swordsman’s blades were introduced to Nami’s staff and Usopp’s lead shots. The charge was over within minutes.

Zoro scoffed at the lack of challenge the pirates presented, either he had underestimated the other two teens, or he severely overestimated the pirates. He felt cheated of a real battle. Even Nami and Usopp, for as nervous and battle green as they were, had barely broken a sweat.

“Wh-what kind of monster?” Jango felt a shiver of fear, but looking at the rising sun he knew what the real threat was, and it wasn’t some brat with swords and a little talent. “MEN, look here, at ‘one, two, Jango’ you will all become stronger and be able to defeat those brats!”

“Hypnotism?” All three teens questioned, a shared doubt of it working, but bracing themselves anyway.

"One, two, JANGO!" The hypnotist yelled, the pendulum swinging and drawing the attention of all the pirate crew.

The men perked-up, there eyes becoming glazed with battle-lust and yelling in unison loud enough to shake the very ground. Even Zoro felt nervous at the sudden energy gained by the pirates just from being hypnotized.

“Get behind me,” Zoro told the two teens, pulling out his second sword and widening his stance. “Be ready to run.”

Nami and Usopp watched in awe as Zoro met the charging army head-on, blocking and attacking and gaining cuts and bruises all over. Even with the damage he was taking, the swordsman was still winning, knocking out enemies as quickly as he could. Usopp was helping from a distance, taking pot shots at the men and any who got past Zoro's swords were swiftly re-introduced to Nami's staff. It was difficult, but the three were able to take out the thirty or so men that tried to pass the trio.

As the last man fell, Jango felt another shiver as the trio turned towards him. It was time to call out his trump card if there was even a hope of surviving Kuro's wrath.

“Nyabam Brother, get out here!" The quasi-captain yelled at out to the fighting duo. Once the two men were off the ship, he was quick to instruct them to attack the brats. Siam used his somewhat humorous distraction tactic to disarm the swordsman, and once the brothers were locked in combat with the green-haired brat it was to easy to aim for the other two.

Pulling out two chakrams, he threw them at the distracted duo, slicing the shoulders of the teens. There cries of pain distracting the swordsman and allowing the brothers to slice the teen as well. Just as the now bloody rings returned to his waiting hands he heard an annoyed clearing of a person's throat. It was Captain Kuro.

“When I said attack at sunrise, I meant sunrise and not a moment later. Why are you playing with these brats Jango?” The cold voice of Captain Kuro made the three men shudder in fear as he stared down at them. “It seems you have grown weak since I left.”

The proclamation of the men’s weakness did not go without retaliation from the Nyabam Brothers, though the duo’s failure to attack the ‘retired’ captain only served to drive home the man’s strength and speed. Everyone watched in shock as the brothers were swiftly trapped within the clawed arms of Kuro, and given the ultimatum.

"Five minutes or everyone on this beach is dead."

The threat of death lit a fire under the brothers, making the two attack fiercely and ferociously. Zoro could hold them back with only two swords, but was gaining a worrying number of scratches and losing blood at an alarming rate.

Nami was desperate to try and make sure they could win, and moved towards were Zoro’s third sword had been tossed earlier. She was able to reach the weapon, and succeeded in tossing it to the teen, but was cut again by Jango’s chakrams. The ringed blade cut deeply into the girl’s back as she threw the sword. Before she fell forward in shock and pain she saw Zoro catch his third weapon, placing the sword in his mouth.

Now that Zoro had all three swords, he could properly perform Three Sword Style and was able to quickly remove the Nyabam Brothers from the field.

“One minute left," Kuro announced as he watched the failures that were his once crew, clearly, the men had fallen to new lows once he had left.

Jango trembled in fear. He couldn't die here. Pulling out two chakrams from his coat the man threw them, pulling more and more of the weapons from his over-coat until he was juggling six of the bladed rings. Zoro was blocking the rings, but couldn't advance to attack due to being stuck on the defensive. Suddenly Jango pulled out the seventh ring, throwing it and catching the swordsman off guard. As the rings whistled through the air Zoro moved to block but was a second too slow. The chakrams buried themselves into the teen's neck, the thunk-thunk-thunk echoing across the beach.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoa this was a long chapter, I honestly had fun writing this one just because fleshing out the characters and their interactions is interesting. Also Kou has enough self-realization to know that she is basically the team's tank, and while not always happy about it, she is resigned to her fate.
> 
> Yes Kaya and Usopp are sweet together and I totally think they make a cute puppy-love kind of couple. After maturing and spending many years apart I dunno, but during the Syrup Arc I totally shipped them as a 'first-love' couple.
> 
> Also, of course, Nami and Usopp fight, I will not be relegating them to Glass Cannon statues or comedy battles. They are actual fighters, just not Zoro or Kou's level of fighters, they are more strategic and backline, but they can still take and give damage.


	20. Guava

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Mentioned Gender dysphoria, violence, threats of death, minor romance

Kourei was an innately possessive person. She lost much from Before: her family falling under the sound of gunfire, her freedom to the threat of death under government orders, and her life for failure to follow orders. In this new life, she was born into loss: she lost her mother, then her father, and finally her brother before she had reached the age of seven. She had lost her innocence before she had even been born, having never had the chance to experience her second childhood as it should have been. 

Her face had been ruined so early on in this life that Kou could never hope to look cute and sweet that way a girl should. Makeup and hair only covered so much, jewelry could only distract for a few minutes at most before eyes were drawn to the scars that covered half her face.

Her hair had been her favorite part of this wrong body, it was damaged and tangled at the slightest breeze and would grow triple in size in the humid summers but it was still her hair. It was the same color as the hair she had from Before and could be grown to fit any style she had wanted. It was hers. Now it was gone, and while she could grow it back it would take time. Already whenever she would awaken to find the short strands brushing her ears instead of her shoulders she could feel the panic pulling at her chest. The swelling cry of _wrongwrongwrong_ felt bone deep.

She was possessive of her jewelry, the present received from people who cared for her enough to spend money on trinkets that only served as decoration. The silver and gold, rubies and sapphires, the feel of cold metal warming under the sun as she basked under the glowing star. The precious decorations making her feel more like a real woman, like she had Before, instead of a little boy playing pretend as she had been called so many times in this new life.

Love was another part of this life she could not enjoy as it should have been. Grandfather loved her, but his love was as violent as the man himself, and under the conditions that she strove to be a strong man and a good Marine. Makino and Shanks cared for deeply, but they weren't family. There were no connections forged through blood or experience between Kou and the two adults. Ace was her brother, and she would fiercely protect him with her very life; except Ace was a grown man, a pirate in his own right who didn't need his cry-baby sister to protect him. Kat worshiped the girl for everything she had done for the woman, and while there was love between them, it could never reach the levels Kou could remember sharing with her friends from the Before. 

Kou did take comfort in the fact that she could still feel love as she had Before, the deep emotional connection between humans that drove her to protect and cherish. Love also drove her possessive feelings into darker thoughts and actions; into unthinking acts of violence and chaos that should have made her sick but instead filled part of the emptiness inside her. 

People are not possessions, toy or objects to be used and played with and then disposed of once tired. Kou knew this, believed in this fact so firmly that she held it as the basis for her moral compass. People cannot be possessed because they are conscious, living being and not objects or things to command and own; yet Kou was a possessive creature and those who she claimed under her protection and care fell under the shadow of those dark and vicious feelings. 

The sight of Nami and Usopp bleeding from wounds that they should not have, of Zoro blocking multiple chakrams and unable to attack while bleeding all over, and of that damn cocky butler that reminded Kou of too many faces she wished to forget; it made something inside snap. 

Digging her fingers into the sandy soil of the path, the feeling of life coming to attention at her command, Kou flexed her buried fingers and pulled. Cages of thick roots and writhing vines exploded from the ground, protectively moving around the three teens who were _hers_. The sound of the chakrams hitting the roots, the thunk-thunk-thunk of failed attacks, made Kou smirk.

“Really you guys, I leave you alone for ten minutes." Pulling her fingers free, Kou flicked the dirt clinging to the digits at the clawed butler. "Now, who hurt my **Crew**?”

Jango paled at the sight of the writhing plant cages that were protecting the three injured teens. As he looked up the sloping path the source of the unnatural protections and what he realized was his attacker from the day before became clear.

Kuro turned to look over his shoulder, scoffing at the sight of the urchin girl who had come to the mansion the day before with the other orange-haired girl and Usopp. Her wild black hair and dirty, torn dress screamed pirate in the worse way.

“Cute little power you have there.” Kuro turned fully to face the scowling brat. “But I do believe scissors beats paper.” Flexing his clawed hands the pirate prepared to slice up the annoying interruption.

“Klahadore, STOP!” Kaya ran down towards the gathering of pirates, her jacket fluttering around her ankles as a red-wolf loped next to the distressed girl. “Why, why are you doing this?”

"Kaya… run away." Usopp weakly tried to convince the girl of the need for her to flee but instead drew her attention away from the true threat and towards his cage. 

“USOPP!,” The girl knelt next to the writhing cage, reaching her had through the bars to hold the boy’s hand. “Why are you in a cage? Who did this?”

“Please Kaya, get away, I’m safe but Kuro can still attack you!”

“Yes Miss Kaya, run away like a good little girl.” Kuro mocked the duo, moving to pull off one of his gloves to attempt to lull the sickly girl into false security. He was stopped though, at the sight of matching snarling animals, the wolf and the pirate girl blocking his path towards the little blonde brat.

Kaya let out a yelp of surprise as the organic cage that had been surrounding Usopp bulged and heaved. A vine shot out, wrapping around her wrist and pulling her into the now larger cage. As the vine let her go the surrounding roots thickened and hardened until what had been a writhing organic trap was now an impenetrable defense. 

“Sorry guys, but I think it is best if you sit this one out.” Kou didn’t sound very apologetic Zoro noticed.

“Hmph, how futile." Kuro scoffed at the girl and her attempts at protecting the four teens. "It is two against one here little girl, and you will die if you try to fight. Why are you so dedicated to protecting these people hmm? You didn't even know those two," at this, he motioned at the caged duo, “until yesterday. If you leave peacefully I am sure I can forget all about the trouble you caused and let you and your crew go.”

Kou couldn’t hold in the explosive laughter the man’s attempts at bargaining pulled from her. “HA, that is funny,” moving into a fighting stance, fists held aloft as her skin rippled and thorns push past flesh she continued, “you think I am merciful enough to let you live.”

Pushing herself forward, Kou exploded in a flurry of fists and kicks, thorns and knuckles just passing Kuro's skin as the man dodged. The whistling sound of blades cutting through the air alerted the girl of Jango's attempt to join the battle. Ducking under Kuro's blades as she twisted to avoid the chakrams, she let out a piercing two-tone whistle. The sound of howling and a pained scream followed the girl's non-verbal command. 

Jango was trapped under a hundred pounds of growling fur and teeth, his neck inside the wolves mouth as teeth cut and tore at his skin. He could feel the bones grinding together in his shoulders from where the wolf was holding him down with its paws. He was unable to move either arm and any attempt to try and attack or pry the wolf off was met with deep vibrating growls. His hypnotism was useless against animals and his chakrams couldn’t do much with his arms pinned. Jango had been defeated by a stupid wolf and now captain Kuro was going to kill him when the man finished with the girl.

Kuro for his part watched in disdain as Jango was defeated by the urchin girl’s pet. “Pathetic.”

“Give up, or he dies!” Kou called to the clawed man, giving him the ultimatum.

“Ha, why would I care if the fool dies by your hands, I was planning on killing him anyway.” Kuro began to monologue as everyone stared at the man in horror. “Once I had the money I was going to kill these fools and truly become free of the name Captain Kuro! After all, it is easier to claim innocence when there are no witnesses.”

Cries of betrayal and fear rose from the fallen pirates at the man’s plan, and even Jango could feel the pain of treachery. Kou looked at the traitorous man, disdain curling her lips into a hideous snarl or teeth and gums.

“Now," he pushed up his glasses with the palm of his gloved hand, "Stealth Foot." 

Kuro blurred past the angry girl, cutting her across the arm as he passed to finish off the pathetic crew at the beach. Blood flew into the air, splattering across the sand as man after man was cut down indiscriminately by the once captain. Kou stood rigid as she watched the heartless traitor cut through the bodies. As the last Black Cat pirate fell, Kuro turned and moved to attack the girl. Moments before his slash to her chest met the target the girl dropped under the swinging blades, bending almost in half as the gleaming metal whistled past her. 

Kuro came to a stop behind the pirate, watching in disdain as the girl turned and glared at him.

"You tired already old man? Having performance issues?" Kou scoffed at the supposed captain, watching him flex and prepare for another attack. Again she dodged, and again, and again; his movements were predictable and slower than what the name of the attack suggested. Kou was beginning to tire of this game of cat and mouse. Pulling from her powers the girl flexed her arms, bloody bark and thorns exploding from her shoulders and arms, ripping into what was left of her sleeves as she took a slash to the chest. 

Shredding cloth and ripping flesh met Kuro’s upward slash, but sudden pain exploded from his wrist as the girl trapped his hand. Thorns deflected the blades from the girl’s throat, but her now exposed chest was bleeding profusely, soaking the front of what was left of her dress in blood. Kuro fell to his knees in pain and shock as his wrist was shattered in the girl’s hand. Swinging his other hand in an attempt to decapitate the bitch led to her capturing his other wrist, holding his hand aloft as she looked at the blood coated blades.

"Beg," Kou spoke in a cold voice, the single word carrying across the beach. 

“N-Never.” Kuro panted in pain, refusing to grovel at the feet of this dirty pirate.

Sharp eyes locked onto the man's face, and for the first time in his life, Kuro felt true fear. He had become the prey. Pitch black pools of cold emptiness met his own eyes, and the man was quick to look away. 

“I said beg.” Kou ground out as she snapped his other wrist, pulling a howling cream from the man. A second scream joined the sound, this one more high-pitched and feminine.

“Kourei STOP!” Usopp yelled from his cage, holding a sobbing Kaya close to protect her from the sight of her once trusted friend and butler being tortured. “You won, it’s over.”

Kou turned to the boy, her eyes losing some of their darkness at the sight of the sobbing girl and fearful boy. Sighing she kicked out her feet, rolling the now unconscious pirate down the slope towards his few surviving crew. Letting out a low whistle in command she watched Sabi let go of the crying hypnotist and trot over to her side. 

Fully facing the defeated pirates she pulled deep from her chest and spoke in a commanding voice. "Leave now, take your captain with you and do what you see fit for such a traitor. Know this, if I ever hear of any of you stepping foot in the East Blue again, know that it means your head as payment. NOW GO!" 

With that the pirates fled, dragging the bodies onto the ship and sailing off as quickly as they could. Once the ship was merely a dot on the horizon did Kou release her powers fully, the organic bars that had been protecting the other teens on the hill rotting away until all that remained was the smell of rich soil and the taste of copper on her tongue. 

Looking at her heavily bleeding chest Kou could only let out a quiet 'shit' at the sight as she fell backward, the pain finally registering. 

“Hey captain, you okay?" Zoro asked as he approached Kourei. Once he was close enough, he sat next to the panting girl. Nami slowly moved to sit on the other side of the bleeding captain. "You going to die on us?" 

"Ha," Kou panted as she winced and moved to sit up, pulling at her wounds but too stubborn to remain lying on the ground. "You just wanna be captain." 

"Not even over your dead body," Zoro replied as he pulled the girl against his side. Looking over at Nami he found the girl watching the bleeding captain with concern, specifically eyeing the bloody wounds across Kou's chest. As their eyes met the two shared a look of understanding, Nami nodding in agreement to save her questions and complaints for later. The two moved to pull the now unconscious captains up, one arm over each teens shoulders. Nami winced as the other girl's weight pulled her wounds back open, but grit her teeth against the sound that wanted to escape. 

Usopp held Kaya close as the girl cried, he felt like crying as well; he wanted to run away and hide from everything, but he knew the Kaya needed him to be strong right now. Watching the two pirates hold up their bleeding captain made Usopp look at the trio with new eyes. He had thought that only the green-haired boy had cared about Kou but apparently both teens cared enough about their captain to support her even while they themselves were injured.

“I think,” Kaya started to speak past her tears, watching the woman who had saved her and the entire village bleed out and coming to the only conclusion she could, “I think you three need a doctor.”

Zoro and Nami could only let out huffing laughter at the blonde girl's observation.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Usopp sat in the meeting spot of the Usopp Pirates, staring out at the water as the three younger boys watched the unusually quiet teen.

“Pirates are really amazing huh?” The dark-haired boy asked out of seemingly nowhere, startling the three pre-teen boys. The three children shared a look deciding it was best to ask their captain what he meant.

"… I was always unsure if I was meant to stay here in Syrup Village, or if I could become a real man of the seas…" Usopp trailed off before picking up his line of thought again at the children's prompting. "Watching them fight, real pirates against real pirates, it made me realize that if I want to be a real man I have to face my fears… and I am so scared of that girl that my knees are shaking just thinking of asking to join her crew, but I have to!”

"Captain, you don't mean to leave do you!?" Tamanegi asked as both Piiman and Ninjin joined in his cries of disbelief. 

“You guys, you never wanted to be pirates, not the way I want to…” Usopp stood to look at the glittering horizon fully, “You three, you have parents and family that are here to love and protect you. I am a sea-child and a liar, I was born with the ocean in my veins and the soul of a pirate.” Turning back to face the crying boys Usopp knelt down and smiled at the trio. “I wasn’t strong enough to protect Kaya or fight off Kuro, but if I can become a real man of the sea, a true pirate, then maybe someday I can protect the people I lo-care about.”

The boys were crying at Usopp’s moving speech, and they knew what was coming but still didn’t want this to be goodbye.

“I swear to become a real man, a pirate, and make Syrup proud to be my home! You guys gotta swear to follow your own paths and make the village proud, you gotta follow your dreams!”

With that the four boys fell into a sobbing group hug, disbanding the Usopp Pirates and saying goodbye so as to greet their new beginnings. 

 

 

* * *

 

 

Kou chewed on the remaining fish on her plate as Nami watched in disgusted horror but unable to look away. The dark-haired girl had eaten at least half her body weight in food and only now seemed to be slowing down. Zoro had eaten plenty, but at least it had been a believable amount and not the inhuman level Kou had scarfed down.

Lifting her hand to feel the bandages that were wrapped around her shoulder, Nami couldn’t help her grimace as she felt mild twinging at the cuts. She was lucky that the wounds had been easily treated and would only leave her with thin, twin scars across the slopes of her shoulders. Zoro had also been lucky enough to only receive minor wounds that wouldn’t even leave his with obvious scars.

Nami watched the now sated Kourei as the girl patted her exposed belly. Bandages covered the girl’s torso from the bottom of her ribs and wrapping up and around her left shoulder. The bandages made the teen’s muscles and flat chest even more evident, but Nami held her tongue from commenting on the masculine appearance of the captain. Zoro had already tried to offer the girl one of his spare shirts to cover the bandages but had been brushed off in favor of getting to the restaurant immediately for food. Kou's dress had been unsalvageable, the red fabric no more than strips of blood-soaked cloth. Nami resigned herself to having to loan the other girl clothes just to keep her covered, already the strange teen was picking at the denim of the skirt Nami had let her wear. 

Just as the trio was preparing to pay and leave, there was the tinkling bells of the restaurant doors being opened. Kourei spotted Kaya walking towards the table and waved the girl over.

“Hey Miss Kaya, I’m surprised you are up and about already.”

The blonde teen smiled at the pirates, bowing at the trio shallowly before speaking. “I wanted to come and thank you personally for what you did for the village, without your help I shudder to think what Kuro would have done to the people here.” Placing down multiple paper bills to pay for the trios meal the girl motioned for the three to follow. “I wanted to give you a present as thanks from the bottom of my heart.”

The three teens went to follow the girl at a sedate pace, walking down towards the northern shore. By the time the three reached the surprise, Kou was jumping in excitement. There docked at the shore was a caravel, an honest to moons ship built for sailing!

“Is that...” Zoro started to ask but was interrupted by Nami’s excited shout, “A Caravel!”

“I built it myself,” Merry proudly stated standing next to the ship with a panting Sabi at his heels. He began to explain the specs of the ship ending his summary of the ship in telling the trio her name. “I call her the Going Merry!”

The butler went on the explain the rigging and steering to an enraptured Nami and distracted Kourei. The captain moved towards the hull of the ship, placing her hands on the gleaming wood and closing her eyes. _Lovelovededicationlove_ sang the wood that had been treated so carefully and shaped into a ship made out of a lifetime of dedication and love.

Smiling Kou pulled her hand from the hull, the teak plank where her hand had sat changed from a lovely tan color to the deep red of Kou’s wood skin, leaving an imprint of her wide palm and long fingers on the wood.

“STTTOOOPPPPP THIS THHIIINNNGGGG!” The sound of a screaming Usopp pulled everyone’s attention towards the slope, where a giant green ball was bouncing towards them.

"What in the world?" Nami asked as she watched the approaching disaster. "Stop him you, idiots!" 

Kou and Zoro moved to stop the rolling boy at Nami’s command, lifting their feet and stopping Usopp with said limbs.

“… Thanks...”

“No problem.” The duo responded in tandem.

As Zoro moved away Kou helped the boy out from under the bulging backpack and lifted the monstrosity over her shoulders. “I’ll take this onto the ship.”

With that Usopp was alone with Kaya, as the three pirates moved to check out the ship with Merry as their guide.

“So… you really are going to become a pirate”

“Yeah, figured I should leave before I change my mind and chicken out… don’t try and stop me.”

“I won’t, you have changed Usopp, and I don’t want to hold you back.”

“It’s kinda sad isn’t it?”  
“Of course Usopp, goodbyes are always sad, but they don’t have to be forever.”

With that Kaya moved to kiss the startled boy’s cheek, drawing a shocking wolf-whistle from the boat. There was Kou leaning against the railing along the stern of the ship, waving at the duo, a shit-eating grin plastered across her scarred cheeks.

“C’mon you love-birds, it’s time to go!”

"Heh, guess I gotta listen to the captain… bye, Kaya..." With that, the boy quickly pulled the girl into a surprising kiss, this time their lips meeting in an awkward smash that lasted only a second before the boy ran away to climb onto the ship. 

“… Farewell Usopp." Kaya whispered as she pressed her fingertips to her tingling lips, she knew she would see him again, so it wasn’t really a goodbye.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally done with the Syrup Arc. The Kuro fight feels a little rushed, but also like he wasn't that strong in canon and while he is supposedly the 3rd smartest person from the East Blue, I think he really would underestimate Kourei the same as he underestimated Luffy. Also some more insight into Kourei's character and some cute interactions in this chapter so yeah.
> 
> I originally was going to kill Kuro in this arc, in my original planning. Have Kou spear him with plants at the same time as Usopp shooting him with Kaya's pistol, but I just couldn't write it to feel natural for Usopp's character so I let Kuro live. He will never be the same from having both wrists shattered, and Jango wasn't left behind so minor changes but still changes I guess.


	21. Chamomile

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kou is half-naked for half this chapter, this is not Important but I thought you should know. That is all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: none

"Hey Nami, we anywhere close to land?" Kou asked as she sprawled out next to the lounging red-head, a thin book between the navigator's hands.

"Well we passed an island a few days ago, but it's marked as uninhibited so there was no reason to stop there. It looks like there is a reef close by." The orange-haired girl turns to look at the sun-bathing teen. "Why'd you ask?"

"I found some cannon balls down in storage last night and wanted to give Usopp some practice with using the things. I was hoping to maybe shoot off a few myself too." Kou wiggled her fingers in a dismissive motion.

"Hmm, I think we can do that, it should only take an hour to reach the reef." Standing, Nami threw the thin linen blanket she had been laying on over the captain. "Now hurry up and cover-up before you burn to a crisp."

Kou pouted at the girl, but still wrapped the linens around in a makeshift dress that looked more like a toga. Everyone kept trying to make her wear clothes, but it just wasn't the same since she had no clothes of her own and had to borrow. Since her red dress was destroyed and it was her only surviving clothing item from home, Kou had to make due with what the other three teens had packed.

Of course, Nami had put her foot down early, forbidding Kou from any of the redhead's nicer skirts due to the girl's constant fidgeting and propensity to destroy clothes. Usopp had more than enough of his brown denim overall to spare, but Kou constantly complained about how heavy and constricting the clothes were. Zoro was the only one who had spare clothes that Kou would willingly stay in, and even then the shirts she would borrow are so threadbare that it was a miracle they didn't fall apart on her. His belly bands, on the other hand, those he had to find a hiding place for because Kou loved to steal them and refuse to return the comfortable items.

Shoes were a lost cause though. Kou's feet were too big for Nami's shoes, not that the girl let Kou anywhere near her shoes, and both Usopp and Zoro wore boots that Kou literally threw back at their heads when they offered to share. If she could keep her toes and feet free then whatever, sandals or barefoot it didn't matter. Not like she was going to get splinters or anything like that so what did it matter if she had shoes or not.

Rolling around the warm deck Kou enjoyed the feeling of the sunlight on her shoulders and legs, splaying out to take up as much space as possible. Already her half-assed toga was loosening and only helped trap in some of the suns heat. Soon Kou began to doze off and fell into a light slumber. It was less than an hour later when Koue was awoken by Nami lightly kicking her starfished form.

"Get up lazy bones, we're at the reef you wanted to practice at."

Blinking, Kou bounced up, her linen cover fluttering around her knees as she twirled around to go retrieve the cannon balls.

"Tell Usopp to get ready for some fun!" She yelled over her shoulder as she scurried below deck.

"Where does she get the energy to be so damn perky?" Nami grumbled as she went to find the newest member of the rag-tag pirate crew, the boy most likely in the shade by the stern.

She was right and finding Usopp was easy enough, the boy working on little black-power packets for his sling-shot in a nice shaded spot of the upper deck. Waiting for the boy to finish the packet in his hand Nami tapped on his shoulder.

"Kourei thinks she found something fun for you two to do."

"Oh, huh?" Usopp looked up at the red-head and pulled his goggles up, "What is she planning?"

"Don't worry, it'll be fun, she asked me first."

"Okay then, give me a minute to clean up and I'll be right up."

While Usopp cleaned up his workspace Nami moved to look over some of his blueprints and notes. Some of those weapon ideas actually looked pretty impressive, though way too difficult for Usopp to make on his own Who even needed a slingshot that big, it would be easier to carry around a Marine musket. Closing the small notebook and handing it to Usopp, the two teens moved down to the lower deck where Kourei was waiting. The sight of Kourei balancing half a dozen cannonballs between her arms as she fumbled on the fallen linen that had come undone was both humorous and concerning.

"What are you doing?" Nami asked as Kou fell on her butt, somehow avoiding dropping any of the iron balls that would have otherwise damaged the deck.

"I was bringing these up and my dress fell and I got all tangled up!" the darker girl pouted as she waited for Usopp to help take some of the cannon balls. Once her arms were only weighted down with two of the balls she felt less guilty dropping them on the deck.

"Why did you bring all this up here?" Usopp asked as he motioned at the cannon and iron balls that were now sitting on the lower deck.

"PRACTICE!" Kou yelled as she bounced back up, pulling the boy towards the cannon, ignoring both his spluttering and the annoyed sigh coming from Nami. "You're my sniper, after all, you gotta learn how to shoot a cannon!"

"Kou stop yelling before I shove you in the cannon." Nami quipped at the excited girl before plopping down on her chair and watched the proceedings.

"Sorry Nami," Kou replied distractedly as she loaded the cannon and then reflexively caught the pen thrown at her head. "I just wanna see one of these things fired up close and not have it aimed at me."

The other teens felt exhausted just listening to the girl ramble but humored her anyway, it was harmless fun and the captain did have a point. They all needed to know to how to use the weapon at least in the most basic sense. Kou took the first shot, missing the speck of land they were aiming for by a mile at least. Nami was convinced to try next, and while she was close to hitting the land, she ended up overshooting and sending the cannonball flying over the top of the little island.

"What are you idiots doing?" Zoro grumbled as he looked over the rails of the upper deck he had been napping on. The loud explosions from the cannon having finally woken him enough to actually check on the other teens.

"Playing with the cannons." Kou replied, ignoring look she received for calling it ‘playing' in favor of loading up the weapon for Usopp to take a shot.

With varying levels of interest, everyone watched as the boy aimed the large iron weapon and fired off a perfect shot, hitting the island at center mass.

"Wooh, that's my sniper, one shot was all you needed!" Kou pulled the boy into a headlock and danced him across the deck as the other two watched with humor. Usopp's complaints at the treatment drowned out by the girl's crowing. The celebration was cut short by the sound of a stomach growling.

"Lunchtime then." Nami stood and moved towards the kitchen, knowing that they had some leftovers from breakfast that could be turned into some sandwiches. Everyone could make there own lunch though, but she knew she had to make her first of else Kou would eat all the fillings, and whatever was left of the loaf.

As the three teens ate their lunches, they talked about where they were planning on heading next. Nami and Zoro's argument where they should go, that Kourei and Usopp were watching with rapt attention was interrupted by the sound of yelling and crashing on the deck.

There was a stranger on the Going Merry, and he was cutting up the ship and yelling. That wouldn't do at all.

As quickly as the man with cropped hair and a poorly chosen face tattoo had braced to attack the now visible crew, he was tangled in a thrown sheet and pinned down under the full weight of a scowling girl.

"You got five seconds to explain who the hell you are!"

"You damn pirates, attacking me and my partner while he's sick. I'll kill you!" The man struggled like a fish caught for market but was unable to buck the girl from his back.

"Captain, who'd you catch there?" Zoro asked as he approached, but stopped short when he recognized the shocked face staring through the tangle of white linens. "Johnny?"

"Big-Bro Zoro?"

 

* * *

 

"What kind of idiots sail and don't know about scurvy?" Kourei squawked as she was forced to feed the sickly Yosaku lime juice with a spoon. The drawn face of the ill man scrunched in distaste at the flavor of the bitter citrus, but Kou continued to make sure it was all consumed.

The two idiot bounty hunters were lucky that Nami knew what to look for in diagnosing scurvy and that Usopp felt so guilty for hitting the island they had been resting on. Kou would have been more than content to just toss the two over and be done with it, but the knowing glare Zoro had thrown her way made her hold off on that course of action.

Kou could just barely make out the sound of Zoro, Nami, and Johnny talking above deck. Usopp had felt so guilty that he chose to stay in the kitchen with Kou, juicing the limes into a bowl so that the sick man could be spoon fed.

The girl looked down impassively as she wiped lime juice from the man's scratchy chin. That was when she noticed bleary eyes staring up at her.

Yosaku swam into consciousness to the sight of a haloed angel watching over him. Dark hair in wild disarray, a sweetly rounded face, and jewelry glittering from the light of sun pouring in through the window behind the angel.

"A-Am I dead?"

Usopp jolted at the sound of the sick man talking while Kou just snorted, straightening up from her hunched position. Now that the light was no longer at her back and casting deep shadows on her face Yosaku could fully take in her appearance.

What he had thought to be a sweet healing angel was clearly a warrior with a painful looking scar cutting her face from the corner of her mouth and nasty looking slashes peeking from the collar of her dress. She was still his type though, with large dark eyes and matching hair. She did look kinda boyish though, and now that he looked closer found a disappointing lack of cleavage on what should have been a wonderfully revealing dress. Seems the girl is a clownfish, kinda young but still cute. Though her scowling did make her look scary.

Not that these thoughts mattered as the man was quick to lose consciousness again, clearly not fully healed from whatever was making him so ill.

"Hey Usopp, you keep an eye on mister scurvy here, I'll go tell the others he woke up for a minute. Put the rest of the lime juice in the fridge will ya?"

"Sure thing Kourei."

And with that, the girl left the kitchen with a twist and stomped towards the deck. She was still pouting about taking these guys aboard, and while Usopp could understand that Johnny had cut up the ship, it would be an easy enough fix. Shrugging, the boy decided to just forget about it and do as he was instructed.

 

* * *

 

Everyone, except the still sleeping Yosaku, was sitting around in the kitchen. Idle chatter flowed freely between the boys, each recalling increasingly taller tales of their greatest fights, while Kou and Nami schemed.

"We really need to get a cook in the crew," Nami mumbled as she chewed on the tip of her feather pen, jotting down notes and thoughts in one of her many journals.

"I could always cook ya know," Kou replied as she munched on some sour pickles.

Nami gave the other girl the most deadpan look ever and continued on without replying.

"What's that ‘spose to mean?" Kou whined at Nami but was again ignored in favor of whatever the girl was writing.

"I can cook, but I can only do so much, and I'm already the navigator and book-keeper."

"I told you that I can do the books..." Kou continued but was again treated to another less than hospitable look form the red-head. Sighing Kou decided to just put her face against the table, but continued to mumble into the smooth wood. "'Become the captain of a pirate crew Kourei', ‘you're bound to be respected and feared Kourei', ‘no one would dare be insubordinate under your leadership Kourei', ha more like become the captain of the most rebellious crew ever."

"What was that Kourei?" Nami asked sarcastically, only half listening to the other girl grumble. Really if she wanted to be feared then it was only a matter of using her powers against them, but the darker teen refused to even spar against Zoro with her powers; only using fists and practice swords when play-fighting with the swordsman. Not that she was any good with a sword but it was still a bonding exercise the two shared. Just like the girl would sit next to Usopp and help the boy make ammo or watch him draw, or how she would sit on the deck with Nami while sunbathing and telling her horrid jokes.

Nami honestly could barely recall why she had ever been scared of the girl, yes the strange teen had unnatural powers borne of a Devil Fruit, but she had only ever used those powers to protect the crew and had never attacked any of them. Even those demeaning cages she had grown around them in Syrup were meant to protect. Not that Kou was given a free pass on using such a demeaning thing, both Zoro and Nami had chewed the captain out for her actions during the Black Cat attack in Syrup. The fact that Kou had taken the lecture with as much grace and patience as she did was impressive; at least until Zoro realized the girl had been sleeping with her eyes open.

Smiling, Nami teased the end of her feather quill against the pouting captain's forehead. Really the girl was just too childish sometimes, no matter how mature she seemed to act.

"Captain, you are good for other things, why else would we keep you around." Nami smiled at the girl and found she felt much lighter at the returning grin, no matter how warped it was from the scars stretching the skin.

"I knew you liked me." Kou smiled with a dusting of pink across her tan cheeks.

"You keep that up and I may learn to start hating you again." Nami teased back but still moved to trace the blushing cheeks with her quill.

"Would you two stop flirting." Zoro broke the peace between the two girls, drawing attention to their playful banter. Nami smirked at the jealous swordsman and leaned further into the blushing captain's personal space.

"It's just girl talk surf-brains, no reason to get jealous."

Tension crackled between the two teens, making Usopp nervous, but Johnny could only laugh at the sight of Big-Bro Zoro acting like a child jealous of another sibling getting attention. It was especially humorous to the man due to the cause of the bratty actions being oblivious to why her crew was glaring at each other. A horrible idea formed in Johnny's mind as he moved to slide next to the still clueless girl.

"Hey, so you said you guys need a cook right?" He leaned over the girl's shoulder, tucking a bit of the short hair behind an ear as he turned the charm to 1000. "I know a great restaurant with dozens of chef that are used to sailing and know how to cook for a crew of hungry pirates."

"Really," Kou perked up at the mention of a real restaurant, "where is it?"

She really was dense, wasn't she, but Big-Sis Nami and Big-Bro Zoro had their full attention on him and the captain. "It is pretty close to the Grand Line, north-northeast from here I think." Pulling away from the captain, Johnny moved to stand in front of a glaring Zoro. "Close enough to the Grand Line in fact that there is a rumor that Hawk-Eyes likes to dine there on occasions."

That certainly got the swordsman's attention, his glare morphing into a rather frightening look of determination.

"And what exactly is this restaurant called?" Nami piped up, doubt clearly written across her cute face.

"The Baratie."

 

* * *

 

It was a giant ship shaped like a fish! Kou was bouncing in excitement at the sight of an honest to moons restaurant in the middle of the ocean. So excited at the sight she pulled a surprised Johnny into an unexpected dance across the deck as the others watched with smirks. It seemed that the girl was finally thawing out to the man if her twirling of the rather nauseous Johnny was any indication. Her dancing was so enthusiastic that it actually caused the wanted posters Johnny kept in his jacket to go flying about across the deck; which Kou proceeded to trample about on in her enthusiasm.

Yosaku peeked past the door leading to the deck at the commotion, finding his partner being dragged around the deck by a happy looking girl. He was quick to duck back behind the door when he spotted the Navy ship floating along beside them. Everyone on deck actually stopped to watch the Navy vessel pass, waiting to see what would happen.

Any fear or concern was in vain, as Kourei's crew still hadn't decided on, or even discussed, what exactly would be their Jolly Roger, thus they only looked like a sailing merchants vessel and not in fact like the pirate crew they were.

Due to the lack of obvious pirate regalia, Lieutenant Fullbody did not stop and engage the pirates, more focused on getting his lovely date to the Baratie and hopefully getting her tight little dress off after their meal.

"Well…" Kou broke the silence on the deck, "let's go eat guys, I'm starved!"

 

* * *

 

Sanji hated serving men, especially cocky men with beautiful women on their arms who deserved so much better. There was the petty satisfaction of humiliating the man by switching the wine from the one he had requested; that idiot had clearly been trying to impress his lovely date but knew nothing about wine pairings if he was going to try and order something as heavy as an Itzelburgur with an already savory lamb soup and grilled swordfish salad. Checking in on the customers, he found the lovely lady had finished her soup and wine. Perfect.

"Excuse me miss, but a lovely lady like yourself must have equally as refined taste. Would you like to come over and sample some of our wonderful wine selection?" Sanji knew he laying it on thick, but she was such a beautiful woman and he was only a man after all.

Of course, the idiot had to open his mouth. "Waiter, do you make a habit of serving your customers insect? What sort of bug is this?" The man tried to make a scene, clearly having put the dead bug in his soup.

"Well I'm afraid I don't know, I don't know much about insects after all."

"Don't you mock me!" The idiot Marine slammed his fist on the table, splitting it in two and spilling the food and wine everywhere.

Sanji felt his control slipping, the sight of such waste making the phantom pangs in his stomach grow. Kneeling he looked at the waste, three days of effort and pounds of perfect produce and lamb bones wasted because of this stupid man.

"I am a customer! I pay you to serve me!" The marine stepped on Sanji's hand as he yelled, attracting all the attention within the restaurant on himself. The fact that he hit the woman that was with him when she tried to stop the idiot was more than enough to make Sanji snap. Lashing out his legs it was more than simple to turn the cocky man into a bloody mess.

"Don't waste food."

This is what Kourei and her crew walked into, the mish-mash of pirates and bounty hunters staring in a mixture of awe, fear, and most notably in Kourei's case, ignorant hunger. The girl hummed to herself, ignoring the violent picture the livid chef made and instead moved to sit herself down at the table closest to the kitchens by the stairwell. If anything, the sight of casual violence in a place of eating made Kou reminisce about her time with Dadan and the mountain bandits, every meal a battle of speed and wits to get the most food on her plate and into her mouth as fast as possible.

Tugging on the white jacket of one of the gawping chefs as polity as one could, Kou quickly gained the attention of the man and began to put in her order. "Hey could I have five waters, a glass of milk, a nice bottle of wine, any beer sixty proof or higher, six bowls of whatever the soup of the day is, three plates of the catch of the day, a whole roast duck, a whole chicken, three plates of grilled swordfish, a bread basket, and whatever it is that smell so good!"

The gob-smacked chef could only nod at the monstrous order the small girl had just put in, robotically turning towards the kitchen to inform the Head Chef to start warming the spare stove used for feeding a full crew.

Kourei for her part watched with humor as the violent chef from earlier was being restrained by his fellow chefs. Clapping her hands in delight she motioned for her crew to come and sit and watch the spectacle. Johnny hadn't told her there would be dinner and a show!

Head Chef Zeff was pulled from the kitchen by a shaking chef who told the captain that there was a situation going on with Sanji. The man already knew that the foolish boy was probably beating up another customer.

Just as Zeff left the kitchen to go beat some sense into the idiot boy there was another commotion at the door. It seemed the damn marines had brought more trouble with them than they could handle. The poor ensign was shouting about Don Krieg's underling escaping only to get shot in the back. Patty seemed to be more than enough to deal with the half-starved pirate and was able to remove the menace before he became a problem.

With the pirate tossed out back where he knew Sanji would feed the starving man, Zeff could focus on removing the marine pest from the restaurant and would later give the idiot boy an earful for attacking another customer.

 

* * *

 

The background chatter of the Baratie was broken by the wailing of a toga-clad girl as she saw the bill for her crew's meal. The food she had ordered initially would have been easy enough to pay off if everyone pitched in, but they had just kept ordering the amazing food and Kou had mindlessly kept putting whatever was on the table into her mouth. 500,000 Beri, her crew ate and drank enough to leave her with a bill that far outstripped whatever meager saving she had scraped together.

Nami had predictably skipped out of paying, Kou had already expected this, but the fact that all four men had also left her to foot the bill was just too much. Tears bubbled in her eyes on command as the large figure of the Head Chef glared down at her.

"Don't give me those crocodile tears you brat, you ate the food and now you gotta pay for it!"

"I-I wasn't expecting this much…" Kou sniffled in a way she knew was cute on other girls, too bad for her Zeff had seen it all and was as unmoved as the Red Line.

"C'mon little lady, if you don't have the Beri we can work out a deal," Patting the girl's head he motioned to the tables around them. "We haven't had any waitstaff for weeks now, and it is straining my chefs. You play waitress for a week or two for no pay and I'll call us even."

"R-really?"

"Sure, just make sure to avoid causing trouble or else I will have to kill you."

"Haha, your kidding right… right old man?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So a little fast paced chapter, with some 'subtle' character building and cute Nami-Kou interactions. Also, Kou is secretly not so secretly a toddler who would run around naked from the waist up if she can.
> 
> Regarding the term clownfish, it will be explained in the upcoming chapters, but it is part of my half-assed LGBT world building.
> 
> Headcanon time- Johnny is totally gender fluid but is primarily male presenting due to bounty hunting being a more male-dominant 'profession'. Also, Johnny and Yosaku are absolutely platonic life-partners. Fight me on this (but don't really it is just my own headcanon, I just want more queer representation in my One Piece)


	22. Lily of the Valley

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Graphic violence, explicit and graphic death. Childish teasing in good fun.

Kourei glared daggers at her happily eating crew. Nami, Usopp, and Zoro were sitting, happy as clams in high-tide, eating their meals with smug grins as Kou worked away as a waitress. Yosaku and Johnny had wisely chosen to stay on the Merry in the vain hopes of avoiding the captain's fury at her embarrassing situation, not that it would help them, Kou would have her revenge. 

It wasn't that Kou was embarrassed about working as a waitress for the Baratie, it was a high-class establishment, after all, the clientele are polite and the food that Kou could eat on her breaks was heavenly. The blonde Sous-chef, Sanji, insisted she eat during her breaks and he was more than happy to sneak her snacks from the back. Head Chef Zeff had even been kind enough to give Kou a nice uniform, ironed slacks and a clean white button-up made for a presentable and clean uniform; until a customer had the gall to comment on how boyish the uniform made her look, giving Sanji all the incentive he needed to alter the uniform. No, what was making Kou so flustered and embarrassed was the fact that she was now stuck in the ‘uniform' the damn blonde had presented to her on her second day. 

A frilly, flowing white shirt that was more lace than fabric wasn't too bad by itself, except for the fact that whatever fabric the new shirt had gained was now missing from the skirt that clearly had been shorts at one time. With how tight and short the damn ‘skirt' was, it was better to call the thing a glorified belt. No one had a clue where Sanji had found the clothes, but apparently the original uniform Kou had been given disappeared in the wash. Thankfully one of the other chefs had taken pity on Kourei and had dug up some thick stockings from storage. While the leggings covered the girl's legs, the skirt still rode far too high for the teen's comfort and her crew was just lapping it up. 

Already Zoro had referred to her as ‘sweet-cheeks’ twice and Nami had the gale to attempt to flip the skirt that Kou tried desperately to hold down. Thankfully they were the only two who had the gall to attempt such things, and they damn well knew she would get her sweet revenge for everything tenfold.

“I'll show those two exactly how I got such nice legs… kicking their teeth in isn't enough… no, I'll break their damn noses." Kou grumbled as she cleaned table after table, dozens of plates and glasses balanced in her arms. Walking towards the stairs towards the kitchen to drop off her load of dishes Kou felt a sudden shift behind her and felt a breeze as her skirt flipped back down. Glaring behind her she found a far too innocent looking Nami and furiously blushing Usopp. Zoro was just grinning and tried to subtly push a couple Beri towards Nami. 

Scowling at the conspiring duo, Kou slowly backed up the stairs into the kitchen. At least there she knew exactly who and where the attacks would come from.

As if knowing she was thinking about him Sanji came over to greet the girl, only to freeze at the glare he received. Such a fiery temper from such a cute! The pirate may not be the man’s preferred type, that honor fell to the lovely red-head that was with the pirate’s crew, but she was still rather adorable in a childish way. Briefly forgetting the last time he had tried to help, Sanji fluttered over to the girl in order to take a few of the dirty dishes from the girl’s arms and maybe give her a little pat on the head for all her hard work. Except he was met with a brogue-clad foot to the face, the small heels of the girl’s borrowed shoes digging into his nose.

“Don’t even think about it you damn pervert.” Dropping her foot onto said perverts chest to nudge the blonde idiot out of her way, Kou put the dishes into the sink and pulled a few clean tablecloths from a cabinet. “How table six and ten’s orders going?”

“Six’s appetizer is ready now, plates for ten also up.” Called one of the chefs, motioning towards the warm plates of golden fried squid with an aromatic cream-butter sauce, grilled swordfish on a plate of sweet greens with grilled onions and pears, and a plate with a large bread bowl filled with a wonderful smelling beef chowder. Kou picked up the plates on her way out of the kitchen, avoiding her snickering crew members like the plague and placing the amazing dishes in front of the respective patrons.

As Kou moved around the relatively crowded restaurant, smoothing out tablecloths and refilling glasses, there was a sudden commotion from one of the tables. There was yelling about an approaching ship, about a giant galleon approaching. This alone would not have been concerning as anyone was allowed into the Baratie if they could pay, even a ship filled to the poop deck with pirates, except someone screamed something about Don Krieg pirates and suddenly there was pandemonium.

Kourei snorted as people rushed around to flee from the apparent threat, if eye-bags from earlier was any indication then she sorely doubted that the captain would pose much threat. Looking around at the crush of bodies around her, Kou let out another snort at the number of fearful faces. This was a floating restaurant, it was a guarantee that there were going to be protective measures in places.

Turning back to the doors at the sound of shuffling feet, Kou found a towering man decked in a dirty fur cloak being supported by the man from a few days ago. The large man looked like a strong breeze would blow him over.

“F-food and water, please. I have money, please.”

No one moved, it was like time had frozen, and even as the man begged for food and promised to pay not a single person moved. What was worse was that when the starving man fell from exhaustion and his second was forced to beg for food, Patty had the gall to mock the clearly starving pirate. Unsurprisingly the people in the restaurant seemed to latch onto the idea of letting the man starve as if that would solve anything. 

Sanji broke the rising tension, kicking the obnoxious chef over and bringing over a large bowl of fragrant fried rice and a bottle of thick honeyed ale for the starved Krieg. As the pirate captain ate his fill Sanji could feel the phantom pangs lessen until he was certain the man was full and no longer hungry. Even as Carne yelled about Don Krieg being the worst sort of pirate, Sanji couldn't regret feeding the starving man, not even as he was viciously clothes-lined and knocked onto the ground. 

“I think I'll be taking this ship now." The revitalized Don Kreig stood and looked around at the disaster his presence had brought. Of course, Gin's complaints that he had promised not to attack was quickly crushed out of the man. As if this change was truly surprising to the man, Gin should know better by now that the title Foul-Play Krieg was not simply for show. "I have one hundred men that need to be fed, most of them are dying as we speak, so hurry up and bring them over!" 

Sanji stood up, brushing the dust from his suit, and moved towards the kitchens. Even as the other chefs tried to stop him Sanji was determined to feed the starving pirates. Patty’s attack from behind shouldn’t have shocked him, but it was still a surprise attack. The fact that the man had a gun stowed away under the stairs also shouldn’t have surprised Sanji, but it seemed the day was just full of those.

As Patty let a cannonball loose onto the pirate captain the remaining chefs, Kou, and her crew watched with bated breath as the smoke cleared. Don Krieg was not happy with the attack, and in retaliation let loose a barrage of bullets that startled and caused minor injuries.

“When I say cook, then you damn cooks just have to follow orders and make food!”

The pirate's tirade was cut off as a giant sack of food was placed in front of him. "This should be enough to feed a hundred. Take it to your ship right away." 

“Z-Zeff!?”

Kou listened with half an ear as Krieg and Zeff traded words, at least until the Krieg brought up what the girl was waiting for.

“Ha, fool!” Kou giggled out as the failed pirate tried to demand Zeff’s logs, “The true Pirate King doesn’t need other’s logs. That is cheating~”

“What was that brat, you think this is a game?” Krieg turned to the giggling child and found instead two black voids glaring at him.

“No, I am deadly serious. I will be King of the Pirates, without cheating like you.”

As the towering man tried to scare the girl with his tale of his own failure, Kou instead looked at the shivering man kneeling next to the failed captain. A smirk crawled across her face, seems fear is a much weaker chain than Don Krieg liked to believe. 

 

 

* * *

 

 

The galleon, the giant ship the Don Krieg pirates had been on, it was sinking, cut apart like a loaf of bread. Kou gaped at the sight of the sinking ship and the giant waves it was causing, along with the rest of the Baratie crew. She could hear Zeff yelling about pulling anchor so the ship wasn’t pulled under, which shocked her into searching for the sight of the Going Merry.

“USOPP! Where's the Merry!?" Kou threw herself across the railing of the Baratie deck, madly searching for her ship. Zoro had lunged to catch one of her ankles, holding one of her kicking legs to stop her from falling over the rails while Usopp was also searching the surrounding waters. Suddenly there were splashing sounds from under the rails, Yosaku and Johnny were trying to tread water and reach for the deck of the Baratie. 

“USOPP, ZORO HOLD MY LEGS!" Kou screamed at the two boys as she leaned further over the rails. Grabbing the jackets of the two men and with a grunt, she lifted them out of the water and onto the still heaving deck. 

“Where’s Nami? Sabi? THE MERRY!?” Kou yelled at the soaked bounty hunters as she shook Yosaku by the lapels of his coat.

“Big-sis Nami, she... she took the ship," Johnny told the panicking girl, trying to pry her hands from their death grip on a now dizzy Yosaku. "She said that if you were meant to sail together, destiny would bring you together again." 

“… WHAT!?" Usopp, Zoro, and Kou yelled in tandem. Yosaku was finally dropped from Kou's white-knuckled grip at the girl's shock. 

“S-She tricked us!” Yosaku panted from his position laid out on the Baratie deck. “Made us turn our backs saying she needed to change and then pushed us overboard.”

“That witch! Tricking us into false security. I let my guard down damn it!”

“How dare she betray us like that!”

Kou was silent, watching the horizon for a few seconds before turning towards her remaining crew. A glare distorting her face into a rather horrifying snarl as she growled at the men. “Go after her.”

“Wh-what?” Zoro now knew what a trapped mouse felt like when staring down a hungry cat. The anger may no be directed at him, but it radiated from the captain in waves. “We can just forget her and get a new ship, she was just the navigator, we can find a new one! She betrayed us! Tricked us all!”

“Get.Her.Back." With that order, Kou turned to stare down at the shivering Yosaku and Johnny. "Get your boat ready." 

“YES, MA'AM!" The duo shot up, saluting the intimidating woman, and scrambling to go do as ordered. 

Usopp and Zoro stood in silence as Kou continued to radiate anger and frustration, her form rigid and unmoving even as the ship continued to rock with the waves.

“Zoro, Usopp.”

“… ” The two looked at the girl’s back as she continued to address them.

“As Captain, it is my job to lead, but I can't lead a crew that doesn't tell me when something is wrong, that doesn't trust me to be their leader. We are a family now, and family helps each other, and we never, ever leave someone behind. Is that understood?" 

Zoro sighed as nodded at the girl’s back. “Such a troublesome captain, of course, we'll get her back." 

“Y-yeah Kourei, We’re family after all!” Usopp felt relief that the girl wasn’t mad at them, and couldn’t help being happy that she considered them a family.

The three stood in silence, watching the silhouette of the Going Merry as it sailed south and waiting for the two bounty hunters to bring their small boat around. Just as the bounty hunters brought the little dingy around, Zoro caught sight of a single boat approaching the Baratie, the figure sitting on the coffin-shaped boat was unmistakable. It was Hawk-eyes. 

Kou followed the swordsman’s line of sight, finding the small boat and single passenger that was radiating power and danger. Looking at Zoro she found him grinning madly and clutching at his swords. Well, this day was just getting better the girl thought sarcastically as she nodded at the man.

“Go ahead, I did promise not to stand in your way.”

Zoro looked at his captain and nodded at the girl. "This shouldn't take long" 

“No, it won’t.” Kou sighed as she turned away from what she knew was going to be a slaughter. Grandfather had told her about the Seven Warlords, the government’s ‘legal’ pirates used to clean-up the unwanted rabble that slipped from the Navy’s grasp. She had heard enough about Mihawk from her grandfather whenever he complained about the Seven Warlords. She knew how this was going to end. Zoro was strong, no doubt one of the strongest men she had ever met from the East Blue, but the warlord was right to say that the East Blue was the weakest ocean in the world.

The sound of shattering steel made the girl wince, but she still refused to watch. Kou knew that if she watched the battle she would be tempted to interfere, and Zoro would never forgive her for that. She had promised not to get in the way of his dream, and damn if it wasn't the hardest thing to not go against that promise. Already she had to stop Yosaku and Johnny from interfering, yelling at the men to not be foolish and interfere with a man's battle, the worst sort of pity one can give. 

Finally, the sound of blood splattering against wood and a falling body forced her to turn around, only to find a bloody, fallen Zoro and an unruffled Mihawk. 

“I would have been a pity to snuff out such talent and dedication too early.” Sheathing his monstrous sword the Greatest Swordsman continued, “I hope to fight you again one day, Swordsman Zoro.” With that the warlord turned and seemed to float back to his own boat, ignoring the yelling of the Krieg pirates, and sailed towards wherever monsters like him went.

Kou watched in growing horror as Zoro began to slide off the destroyed deck he had battled Mihawk on. Letting out an inhuman screech she moved to leap into the water to catch him, only to be caught around the middle by a surprisingly strong Usopp as Johnny and Yosaku leaped in her place to catch her swordsman. The two bounty hunters dragged the now soaked and bleeding Zoro onto their boat and Kou was quick to leap across to land next to the men. Usopp scrambled over after her, pulling some medicine from his pockets as he sat next to the quivering girl.

Pouring the liquid into Zoro’s mouth, Usopp grimace at the amount of blood soaking the man’s front and dripping from his nose and mouth. He watched as his captain moved to stem the bleeding on his chest, pushing the split skin together and yelling at Johnny and Yosaku to get needle and thread from the restaurant.

Suddenly Zoro lifted his arm, his hand settling on the crying girls head as he smiled at her. "For the future King of Pirates, you sure are a cry-baby, guess- guess if it makes you so upset then I have to make sure I don't lose." The man coughed up more blood but soldiered on "I promise you that I will never lose again." 

“Idiot.” Kou smiled down at the now unconscious man before gritting her teeth and applying more pressure to the wound. “You can only win if you don’t die here first.”

Zoro didn’t die, though he may wish he had when he woke up with tight, orderly stitches across his entire torso and a drying paste that smells suspiciously of lavender and an unidentifiable spice held in place with a suspiciously lacey bandage, along with three of the four people he knew should be on the boat heading after Nami. When he asked Usopp where the captain was, the boy had told him that she refused to leave without repaying her debt and getting them a damn good cook.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Kou watched the battle from one of the top rails of the Baratie deck. She was impressed, not only was the place filled with fantastic cooks, but they were also pretty good fighters. Well, the damn pervert and mister Zeff were awesome fighters, the others were trying their best but it was clear that the Don Krieg crew was a different level of pirate than what the Baratie was use to. 

The weirdo covered in shields who keep yelling about being invincible was grating on her nerves though, she cursed whoever gave birth to such an obnoxious fool and hoped they had the foresight to only breed once. Even when the idiot set himself on fire after a kick from Sanji made him bleed, Kou chose to watch. There is no point in bringing any of the cooks from this ship onto her crew if they couldn't fight properly. The Grand Line was full of dangers, and Warlords were only one of them. 

Of course, this didn't mean she couldn't help when Don Krieg tried to send a giant iron flail sailing towards the Baratie. Jumping off the rails she had been sitting on Kou send herself into a spiraling dive, landing a shattering drop-kick onto the iron ball, and landing her full weight onto the head of the stupid armored man. The sickening sound of wet cracking echoed across the flaming deck. Pushing herself off the now dead man’s head she sent the corpse into the waiting sea.

Making a face at the blood that now bubbled from the water, Kou turned to address Sanji only for the sound of a pistol hammer being set. There standing over the fallen body of Zeff was Gin, blood starting to soak the temple of Zeff's giant hat where the sallow-skied man had pistol-whipped the chef. 

“Surrender this fight and give up the ship and I won’t blow out his brains!”

Rude. Kou was both disappointed and unsurprised at the lack of manners these pirates seemed to have. When a man saves your crew you don't threaten to shoot out his brains. Sanji though, the idiot was just standing there, saying how he had a debt to repay to the old man. 

Well, that just wouldn't do at all. 

“Hey mister Zeff,” Kou called the man’s attention to her, also drawing the attention of everyone else. “How attached are you to this ship?”

Zeff stared at the girl in silence before her words sunk in. Gin was the one to break the tense silence at the girl’s question.

“You wouldn’t dare-”

Kou let out a vicious snarl, cutting off the man’s shout of disbelief and to the horror of everyone watching, she jumped in the air, leaving a crater where she had been one standing. Bouncing again off the main body of the Baratie to send herself even further in the sky, the insane girl sent herself spinning up and up and up. Then she came down like an angry comet, arm cocked back as she released an earth-shattering punch, her power further weakening the wood of the battle deck until it splintered into pieces. 

“YOU CRAZY BITCH!” came the chorus of cries from both pirates and chefs as both were sent indiscriminately flying into the water.

Those not sent flying could only stare in shock and horror as the girl turned to look at Don Krieg.

“Pull your men back or else I will take this entire ship down, and everyone with it." 

Don Krieg smirked, and it was only thanks to Kou’s training avoiding Garp’s Fist of Love that let her duck the attack from behind. Looking at the man who had attacked she found the exhausted looking man that had been threatening Zeff, now holding a pair of tonfas and watching her with calculating eyes.

“Seems you are more than a scruffy brat after all.”

“Gin," Don Krieg called across the space between the ships, gaining the attention of everyone. "Leave the girl for me, I want to see the light leave her eyes myself. You take care of Zeff's brat." 

“… Yes, Don Krieg.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

He couldn't do it. Gin the Demon couldn't finish off the first man who had ever shown him kindness. And now he was going to die for his defiance, as was only right. He was a traitor and weak-willed, Don Krieg was right to kill him for his failure. 

Even when that foolish, scruffy, demon of a girl threw masks for him and the chef, but too slow to grab her own mask; Gin couldn’t bring himself to let those two die, the man who had shown him kindness and the girl strong enough to destroy a ship, strong enough to take on the Grand Line without fear, strong enough to be a King.

Even as he lay choking on his own vomit and blood, the MH5 poison slowly eating away at his inside, he couldn't regret his choice. 

Kou was angry, livid to a point few could push her to. To the point that she could feel the ripples in her skin where the thorns and bark were waiting to push through. First Nami took the Merry without telling them, then Zoro had to be an idiot and get hurt, and now this damn sea slug used poison and hurt his own crew. She hated cowards, and she despised those who betrayed their crew even more. This sea-scum was going to die for his trespasses, of this Kou could guarantee. Turning her burning gaze to the dying Gin and panicking cooks, Kou lifted her hand to point at the poisoned fool.

“Keep him alive while I deal with the trash, I can’t have my new Bosun die on me now can I?”

With that she was off, running across the floating rubble that had been the Baratie’s fighting deck, bouncing from broken piece to broken piece as she approached the grinning Don Krieg. The armored man threw bombs at the demonic girl, creating plumes of smoke and covering his actions as he activated his needle machine gun. Wildly firing into the smoke screen Krieg smirked at the screams he heard, but quickly moved to pull his porcupine cape up in defense as the sight of a wooden demon shot out from the smoke.

“TREE HAMMER!” Kou screeched as she hit the covered man with all her might, ignoring the pain or the spikes entering her wooden flesh. Her punch sent the cowardly pirate flying across the ruins of his ship, and she watched in satisfaction as the pierced wooden skin began to knit itself together, the arrows that had hit her falling out as her inhuman flesh pushed the stakes from her. Smirking she turned to the fallen Don Krieg.

“A real captain goes down with his ship, don’t you think.”

With that the wood of the destroyed deck began to warp and twist, wooden vines emerging from the ship and slowly wrapping around the fallen Krieg as the man thrash and screamed; begging for mercy. The sounds of the other people in the area crying out in fear and horror were drowned out by the begging of Krieg and the blood rushing in her ears. 

Kourei clenched her fist once the screaming man was fully covered in the wooden vines, a sickening cracking echoing across the area as his screaming stopped. “Seems this wasn’t my grave after all.”

Turning back towards the Baratie Kou moved to jump back towards the ship, but her steps faltered. Looking down she finally noticed the wooden skin that had consumed swaths of her body was beginning to flake off in curling ribbons. Bloody, raw flesh was revealed underneath the flaking bark. Finally, Kou registered the fact that she was running on fumes. 

“Oh.” She whispered in surprise as she fell into the waiting water below.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so... I am sorry but there may be a bit of a delay for the next few chapters. I wrote ahead quite a bit, but as I read and edited this chapter my fingers went "fuck you Gin joins the crew" so now I am gonna re-write everything I've gotten written ahead. I could've just kept with cannon but like, I really liked GIn's character and I feel like he and Kou have the potential to get along like a house on fire.
> 
> Also yes, Kou v. Don Kreig was very one-sided because Devil Fruits are hacks but also she is much more bloodthirsty than Cannon Luffy so when there is no hope of redemption it is an execution.
> 
> I also felt like adding a little humor in this chapter at Kou's expense so we are blessed with knowing that Zoro and Nami had bet on if either of them could actually flip the skirt Kou was in. And Nami won because she has balls of steel. Does this count as sexual harassment... maybe.


	23. Fennel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Semi-graphic description of poisoning, Depressive thoughts, Self-harm (canon).

Kou shot up with a gasp. The sight of her snapping a younger Ace's neck with her hands as foxgloves spilled from his lips haunted her into the waking world. Desperately looking around the room she was in for anything to pull her attention away from her haunting nightmares her eyes landed on a lounging Zeff. The older man was relaxing on the sofa in the room, a thin book in his hands as he looked out the window behind his shoulders. The only sign of the fighting from earlier was a bandage on his temple and a different outfit underneath his chef's jacket.

At the feeling of air brushing her bare shoulders and chest, Kou's eyes widen as she scrambled to pull the sheets tighter around herself. Being so exposed in the presence of her family and crew was one thing, but this man was a relative stranger and she was still aching from her fighting earlier, so of course, Kou wrapped herself in the sheets around her.

“Oh stop that, it’s not like you have anything I haven’t seen.” Zeff scoffed at the girl as she turned a pouting glare in his direction. “And stop with the pouting little clown fish. I figured you would appreciate me treating your injuries over the idiot boy.”

Kou perked up at the address. Was the man a fellow shoal? Really only another Shoal would even know the proper terms to address each other; otherwise she was sure the man would have referred to her in less flattering terms. The older chef certainly looked masculine enough and used the male address for himself. Maybe Zeff was a wrasse. Either way, it wasn't her place to ask, so she let the thought drop.

Shrugging, she let the sheets fall from her shoulders in relief and moved over to the dresser in the corner of the room. She could feel her joints twinge in protest at the movement. Seems she overdid it earlier with the flying kicks and punches she had used. Her right shoulder especially protested as she moved to put on one of the white button-up shirts from the dresser. The shirt was loose around the shoulders but tight around the waist, clearly a tailored fit, and the sleeves were long enough that Kou had to roll them up to her elbows just to keep them in place.

Sighing at the fit, Kou only bothered with a few buttons and moved to rummage for pants. She very much doubted there would be a skirt in what was clearly Sanji's dresser. Even if the pervert had a skirt buried under all his pants she wouldn't touch it with a twenty-foot pole. Finding a single pair of jeans buried under dozens of suit pants made Kou grin in success. Hopping around the room as she struggled to get her legs into the pants, Kou grumbled about stupid chefs and their freakishly long legs. They were too damn long, and she had to roll the pant legs up multiple times to uncover her feet. Overall she looked like a child, wearing clothes at least a full size too long on her limbs.

Finally covered as best she could be in the ‘borrowed’ clothes, the girl turned to find a smirking Zeff. She just scowled at the clearly humored man and moved to put on her jewelry. The man obviously had removed the trinkets to clean up her injuries, which Kou was thankful for but also a little peeved that Shank’s necklace was now tangled with her other bangles and bracelets. Untangling the jewelry with a grumble, Kou turned back to the seated chef as he spoke up again.

“I think you may the first girl to ever willingly put on that stupid eggplant’s clothes or even sleep in his bed.”

“Shut it old man." Kou stuck her tongue out at the man as she moved to sit on the rumpled bed. The silence stretched between them as the girl gathered her thoughts, the quiet neither awkward nor tense, it just was. Finally, Kou knew she had to ask the important question. "So what happened after I tapped out of the fight?"

“Well, the Krieg Pirates weren't very happy about what you did to their captain. But that damn fool Gin told them to stand down, choking on blood the whole time mind you. Apparently, most of the crew was only staying with that man because they were too scared to leave. Your very… efficient removal of Krieg allowed most of the men to feel safe to leave. Of course, my chefs had to scare off any stranglers, but Gin refused to leave. Seems he took your offer to join pretty seriously."

“Good, want to make my offer all official and shit, but right now I got other shit to worry about. Is Sanji okay, I know his fight took a lot out of him.”

“Bah, it’ll take more than a few blows to take the fool out. You did scare the idiot boy something fierce when you passed out and sunk like a stone though.”

“Heh yeah, Devil Fruits are a real pain sometimes.”

“Seems you chose the wrong profession Miss ‘King of the Pirates’. Death from being unable to swim seems pretty pathetic to me”

“Pfft, death at sea is nothing to fear for a real pirate, plus I have my crew to keep me afloat.”

“Speaking of crew, I had a request to make of you.”

“What do ya mean?”

“I had listened to you and your crew talk about finding a suitable chef to join on your journey, part of the whole reason you had even come to the Baratie was to steal one of my chefs and eat us out of our larders.”

“I mean, you’re not wrong, but all of the men who work here seem to genuinely love it here. None of them want to leave as far as I can tell.”

“That’s true, and that’s why I am asking you to take Sanji with you.”

“Huh?”

“Take Sanji with you as your Chef, he won’t leave this ship as long as he believes he is indebted to me. I’ve told that boy a thousand times that he doesn’t owe me a thing but he still stays here instead of chasing his dream.”

“And you want me to just take him with me, like that?”

“Yes, you are a powerful woman, and you have a crew and dream driving you forward. If you take that stupid boy with you then I am sure he can achieve his dream as well.”

“… No.”

“What?”

“No, I will not force him to join my crew. My crew is my family, and you can’t force someone to be family. He loves you mister Zeff, and I can’t pull a child away from their parent like that. Plus it seems suspiciously like kidnapping to take him without asking him first.”

“You brat...” A loud commotion interrupted the duo’s discussion, making them leave the room to follow the sound of yelling. So distracted by the sound of yelling, Kou failed to notice Sanji crouching near the door. Zeff only turned to give the boy an unreadable look before also following the sound of yelling from the dining room.

Finding Yosaku in the mouth of a panda-shark was sadly not the strangest thing Kou or Zeff had ever seen in their lives but was still a sight none the less.

“Big-sis Kou!” Yosaku yelled as he pulled himself from the fish and onto the floor “Big-sis Nami is going to need your help!”

“What the fuck is this thing?” Kou asked, ignoring the flailing Yosaku in favor of the panda-shark wiggling around.

“Dinner is the word you're looking for." Zeff laughed as he moved to drag the now panicked fish towards the kitchen. Kou followed along, dragging an equally struggling Yosaku along. Pulling a chair from the dining room to the hall outside the kitchen, Kou sat the shivering swordsman down and pulled a tablecloth around his shoulders. Before giving him the chance to speak, the girl turned to open the door to the subdued kitchen and asked if there was some warm milk available.

Once the girl was sure that the bounty hunter was not going to die of hypothermia did she let him talk.

“What happened and where in the Abyss is the Merry and my crew?”

“We tried following Nami, but the Merry was just too fast. Judging from the way she was heading though, we are going to need your strength Big-sis.”

“Huh,” Kou sat crossed leg in front of the chair as she thought about how to approach the issue of transportation. Ignoring the yelling coming from the kitchen and the sound of a door slamming as Sanji stormed out into the hall, Kou tilted her head as she debated to merits of just growing a rowboat and paddling where she needed to go. The sound of a wheezing cough pulled the girl from her thoughts.

Leaning against the wall was Sanji, with a heavily bandaged and sweating Gin supported by the cook's arms.

“Well captain, are we going to go save Nami or what?” Sanji smirked as he blew smoke out of the corner of his mouth.

“Wow Gin, you look like absolute shit.” Kou ignored Sanji’s attempt to sound cool, instead focusing on the still ill-looking man that looked second away from falling over.

“I-I feel… even worse.” The man mumbled out, his voice sounding as if he had gargled glass shards and then decided to drink acid. A pretty apt description of MH5 poisoning effects on the throat and lungs; making it a miracle the man was even alive.

“I figured, poisoning is no joke.” Turning to look at the blonde chef, Kou pointed at the wavering pirate. “What antidote did they give him?”

“We really only have stuff for food poisoning and allergic reactions, and some pain medication, but not much else. Patty said they gave him some pain medication and lots of water." Sanji shrugged as best he could with the weight of the older man over his shoulders. "Not much else we can do."

“Yeah, I hate dealing with inorganic poisons. So much harder to cure.” Kou mumbled as she stood to look over the pale man. “Krieg ever tell you what was in MH5?”

Gin just shook his head, making Kou scowl and move to check inside the man’s mouth. Shoving two fingers past cracked lips, the girl forced down Gin’s tongue and jaw enough that she could look down his throat. The swelling was severe enough that Kou was surprised the man could even breathe or swallow. Not to mention the wet, wheezing she could hear even without listening to his lungs directly.

“Okay so I am no doctor but, it is a damn miracle you are alive.”

“Anything we can do?” Sanji asked as he looked at the still scowling girl.

“Pray? If this was a plant-based poison, or even animal based I could maybe figure it out, but I doubt that Krieg was stupid enough to use just those. Too easy to counteract, you know. This is definitely chemically based just from the reaction alone."

Kou could only scowl in frustration as she explained this to the listening men. Her interests had never strayed much from biology, and now she was regretting not studying more chemistry than had been necessary.

“Best we can do is keep his airways clear and make sure he is hydrated and not stressing his systems.”

Yosaku finally spoke up again, his shivering having stopped and instead his face now a few shades paler than normal. “But Big-sis, we gotta go save Nami!”

“Idiot,” Kou scoffed as she waved off the man’s concerns, “We are still gonna save her.”

“But you just said-”

“Yes, yes, Gin needs rest and medical care.” Again Kou waved at the man, interrupting him before he could finish. “Well he just won’t be joining in on the fighting then, problem solved for now.”

The weak glare Gin was trying to throw at the girl was so very pathetic that it made her smirk in return.

“If you hadn't tried playing the martyr then maybe you wouldn't be in this mess, for now, you get to play patient until you get better."

“… and if I… I die?”

“You better pray you don’t.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

Kou let out a gusty sigh as she watched the new-coos fly past. It was a lovely day, but she was getting antsy. Nami needed her help, Zoro and Usopp needed her help, and she was stuck sailing only as fast as the wind could send them. Sliding down from her prone position on the bow of the boat they had been given by the Baratie chefs, Kou turned to look over at the three men on the deck. Sanji seemed pretty relaxed for all that he had been raring to save Nami; his tearful farewell with the Baratie crew and Zeff must have taken an emotional toll. Yosaku's tears and dramatics more than made up for the blonde man's silence, though those were also starting to grate on Kou's nerves. Gin was still fading in and out of consciousness, but if the glare he was throwing at the dramatic bounty hunter was any indication, he was in a similar mindset to Kou.

Swinging herself into a sitting position the girl began to bounce around the deck impatiently. "We gotta go faster, Yosaku is there any way to get there faster?"

“Why would you want to rush into certain death like that by making us faster?”

“To save Nami of course.”

“Ah Nami," Sanji sighed at the mention of the red-head, "her beauty is forever burned into my memory." Quickly glancing at the unimpressed captain he quickly added, "Not that you aren't beautiful too my cute captain, Nami just had a more mature look that is hard to forget."

“I’ll show you hard to forget if you really want to see how ‘cute’ I can be” Kou held up a fist threatening, only to scowl as Sanji continued gushing about how adorable he thought ‘his cute captain’ was being. “Whatever, I am getting hungry. Sanji could you make some lunch for us.”

“Of course Kou-Cutie, whatever you want.”

Yosaku finally yelled in frustration at the duo’s banter. “How can you two be so calm! Don’t you understand we are heading straight for Arlong!”

The two pirates just shared a blank look.

“DON’T TELL ME YOU NEVER HEARD OF ARLONG!?”

“Nope!” Kou kicked out her legs as she sat on the bow of the boat.

“Never heard of him," Sanji replied equally as calm.

Gin just snorted at the two, and the sudden bulging vein in the swordsman’s neck only added to the humor of the situation. He really just wanted to sleep off the remaining effects of the MH5 poison. Seems he was just going from one type of crazy captain to another.

Yosaku moved into lecture mode, pacing in front of the clueless duo. "Arlong is a wanted criminal with a 20 million Beri bounty! Worse yet he is a Fishman who used to rampage through the Grand Line!"

“Fishman huh, I heard that there are beautiful mermaids living on Fishmen Island in the Grand Line.”

“…” Kourei remained silent as Yosaku continued to rant, lecturing about Fishmen and the Seven Warlords until finally, she interrupted him. "Stop worrying about it Yosaku, it doesn't matter how strong Arlong is. I will protect my crew, or die trying."

“Kou-Cutie you’re so brave!”

“Shut up idiot, go make some food if you're just going to spout off nonsense." Kou turned to hide her pink cheeks, focusing on the seemingly endless horizon.

“Whatever my cute captain wants~” Sanji was wiggling in a very jelly-like manner as he moved towards the small kitchen.

“I regret bringing him along already...”

Gin snorted at the girl as she put her head in the palm of her hands. The glare she leveled at him was almost comforting and clearly held no heat behind it.

“Something to say there mister ‘coughing up blood two hours ago’?”

“Hah… jus’ funny s’all.”

“Yeah laugh it up now, once you are all better I will be kicking your ass.”

This made Gin pale slightly, his wheezing breath catching, which led to a coughing fit.

“SHIT, sorry Gin, didn’t mean it like that.” Kou moved to help brace the man as he continued to cough and wheeze. Rubbing soothing circles on his back she turned to yell at the staring Yosaku. “Hey idiot, get me some water here!”

“R-right away Big-sis!” Yosaku gave a sloppy salute as he scrambled to get the requested water.

Kou sighed in frustration, pinching the bridge of her nose at the sound of Sanji yelling at Yosaku for entering the kitchen. This was going to be a long trip.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Sanji angrily chewed on the filter of his cigarette in frustration. That damn shitty-hippo that was dragging their boat and Kou-cutie was cooing and fawning over the ugly thing like it was a kitten or puppy, something actually cute. The fact that she had told him to grab some meat from the kitchen for the damn thing was just as galling, not that he argued with his cute captain, he was just annoyed that she was piling praise on the stupid thing. He was the one who made her a lovely lunch and even helped feed the giant sea-cow, which almost bit off his hand in the process!

“Oh aren't you just the handsomest sea-cow ever! Did mean ol' Sanji hurt you?" Kou cooed as she pets the flank the creature that was pulling their boat, "Why look at those scales, I bet they would fetch a fortune at the right market, and those teeth! Oh, I'm just kidding you silly thing." Giggling she ignored the panicked look the creature was giving her and continued in her rambling. "You look just like a cow, but with those teeth, you have to be carnivorous. I bet you would be amazing to study!"

Sanji couldn’t understand half the things his cute captain kept gushing about, but she seemed to be on cloud nine as she continued to take notes about the giant creature.

“You are certainly larger than most creatures in the East Blue that I've seen or read about, and you are nowhere vicious enough to be a Sea King, I've read about Sea-Cows, but you are supposed to be native to Fishman Island so you being all the way out here in the East Blue is highly unusual. Did you get lost from your pod? No, but you are far too large to be a juvenile, maybe a sub-adult? No, no, you have full grown horns and your proportions seem to be fully developed. But why would an adult Sea-Cow be this far from the Grand Line, and a male at that?"

“Uhm, Big-Sis Kourei, you’re kinda scaring me when you mumble to yourself like that.”

“Huh?” Kou finally looked up from her mad note taking to notice that she was being stared at by all three men on the boat. “Sorry, sorry, just got caught up in my thoughts.” Laughing she sat at the on the bow of the ship to keep an eye out for their target.

“Big-Sis Kourei, you’re really scary, you know?”

“Don't insult Kou-Cutie, you damn coward!"

 

 

* * *

 

 

Usopp was terrified. He had known following Kourei would get him killed, he just knew it. She should have made him captain so he could lead them on a nice, peaceful, non-life threatening adventure.

No, instead he had to be captured by Fishmen and have his life and nose threatened just to draw out Zoro, who wasn’t even in the compound anyway! What was worse was Nami’s betrayal. Kourei had told them to bring her back, that the girl was family and couldn't be left behind, but could a traitor really be considered family!? And what was with all this talk of 100 million Beri and buying the village!?

He moved to pull out his slingshot, maybe he could buy some time and make an escape, but instead, that sea-witch pulled her staff on him and smacked him around.

“Damn it Nami! Why’re you picking a fight!?”

“You’re the fool who is in my way.”

Spitting out blood, and damn if that girl didn’t know how to swing that staff of hers, Usopp had to voice the words that he felt pushing past his lips.

“I was expecting to be disappointed by you after you ran off with the Merry, but Kourei told us to help you!” Waving his arms in anger he continued on, “She didn’t suspect you of betraying us and she still trusts you now, how could you do this to her!?”

“I only trust money, if a fool is tricked then it is their fault for being so stupid.”

The sting of Nami's words cut deep, but not as deep as that knife was wielding would surely be if he didn't make a quick escape!

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Kou cheered on the Sea-Cow that was pulling their boat, laughing and jumping around as she threw out encouragement to make the creature move faster.

“C’mon Bessie, you can do it!”

Even as she yelled and danced about, the beast began to swerve, the kicks it had received earlier from Sanji making it dizzy.

“Hey, HEY! The gates are that way!”

It didn’t matter how much Kou yelled, they were clearly destined to land in a different location. The Sea-Cow ran full bore into the rocky coast of Conomi Island, sending the small boat that it had been pulling flying into the sky.

“YATTA!”

Kou’s yelling was lost to the wind as the boat sped through the sky, flying over the canopy of the coastal forest and quickly descending towards a field of rice patties.

“HEY ZORO!” Kou called out in warning as she spotted the man in the line of fire of the flying boat.

“Fu-” The swordsman was flattened against the front of the boat and sent flying along with the four on said boat.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

She was coming here. He had known he wouldn't be able to escape her forever, she had told him to leave the East Blue and never return and he had failed to heed her warning. She was going to kill him, she would kill them all. The She-Demon of Goa, the Black Phoenix, even Arlong would be no match against the girl. She had been frightening as a child, leaving bodies in her wake and holding both commoners and nobles under the sway of her drugs. She had ruled Goa from the shadows and now she was here!

Pulling at his spinney ear-fins the Fishman could feel panic and fear bubbling up his throat like a rotten mackerel. He only joined Arlong in the hopes of seeing his love and child again one day, making the East Blue a perfect paradise for them so they could live in peace and harmony. He hadn't known that the saw-shark Fishman had been so very species-centric and hateful of humans.

Oh Moons, he should have just gone straight back to Fishman Island as he had planned! It would have been so easy to just re-integrate and establish a life there, build a home for his family and save up enough Beri to go back to Dawn island to retrieve them.

No, he had to be a fool and fall for Arlong’s false promises! Now he was going to die, either by Arlong’s hands or in the fangs of the Demon.

Leonnix was scared of what was to come.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Nami felt hopelessness like she never had before. All her years of suffering, her planning and work and patience. Gone. That rat bastard marine had taken it all, every last Beri, under the orders of that double-dealing Arlong. She should have never trusted that damnable Fishman to keep his word, should have expected him to find a loophole, a way to further torture her and bring her to a new low.

Nojiko was wounded, all the money was gone, Bell-Mere’s orchard was torn-up from those damn marine’s and now… and now everyone was going to die. Genzo, Nojiko, the whole village was going to be slaughtered because she couldn’t do it, she wasn’t strong enough to save them.

The ink of Arlong’s mark, the brand he left on her shoulder, it burns with guilt and betrayal. She cannot continue to be owned by that pirate, cannot stand it for another second.

Picking up her dropped dagger, Nami began to cut into her shoulder with all her might, the pain of her skin and muscles being torn by the blade nothing compared to the pain of her failure, of the guilt.

Except no, she stabbed something other than her shoulder.

There was Kourei, kneeling in front of her, holding the blade in her hand, unflinching and blank-faced.

“W-Why? Why won't you just leave!? You know nothing of the past, nothing of what happened here. Just go already! Leave! Leave!"

Kou remained impassive, just watching as Nami cried and screamed. Finally, she moved, placing her blood palm against the girl's ruined shoulder. Kou pulled her into a hug, gentle and slow and full of the promise of forever and protection and family.

“Please… help me.”

“Of course I will.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... kinda a lot in one chapter and maybe seems rushed. I didn't want to rehash too much of the canon events both because I personally don't really enjoy that as a reader, but also because I am a lazy writer. Nothing new there.
> 
> Not much to really say about this chapter in general, Gin is going to be relegated to the background(like Sabi, the poor baby) for a little because he was poisoned and you know, he almost died, so no fighting for a bit.
> 
> Bet you thought I forgot about Leonix. Hah, I made him as a character specifically for the Arlong Arc! He is important for character development and relationships later, maybe, if I remember.
> 
> Also yes, Zeff is a transMale in this fic, and this should surprise absolutely no one reading this. If this is a surprise for you then you may be in the wrong place, but I welcome you none the less and ask you please don't yell at me. Also, you should probably read the tags if this came as a surprise.


	24. Snapdragon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kou is scary, and Nami is loved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Very graphic violence, very graphic descriptions of injury, blood, character deaths, physical horror, descriptions of drowning.

It only took two punches to destroy the stone doors that were blocking her path, her anger simmering into a fantastic fury. The wound on her palm continued to slowly ooze blood, a constant reminder of what was driving her forward. Kourei grits her teeth into a hideous snarl, all teeth and anger and stretched skin. The growl she felt building in her chest rumbled out, a deep echoing sound that rattled the bones of those closest and made the knees of the weak-willed tremble.

“I’m here for _**Arlong**_.”

The fishmen in the compound looked at the trembling form of the odd-looking human. By fishmen standards the human was particularly ugly, covered in scars that tough fishmen skin would never allow to form and scrawny in a way that only a guppy could be.

Finally, Arlong spoke. “What a coincidence, I happen to be named Arlong. Who are you?”

“Kourei, the pirate who's gonna kill you." And with that, the pirate began to stalk forward.

Two foolish fishmen tried to intercept her path towards her target. She was quick to take care of the idiots; two swift punches to the face that knocked the fishmen to the ground, out like a light. Before the two even hit the ground she was off, pushing herself forward with all her might and sending a shocking kick at Arlong. The satisfying feeling of her foot hitting the target and the sight of the large fishman flying into the wall made her smirk. As her feet tapped onto the ground the shock wave from her attack finally pulsed out, shattering the throne that the saw-shark had been sitting on.

“You’ll never make Nami cry again.”

“HOW DARE YOU!” More fishmen moved to attack the now still girl, but they were intercepted and sent flying by a flurry of kicks.

“Kou-Cutie, you can’t go hogging all the prey, it’s not very nice.”

“Sh-she can hog them all she wants, she’s the b-boss after all!”

“Coward.”

As her three crewmen bantered and the fishmen seemed to finally realize that Nami had betrayed them she found a familiar face in the crowd of fishmen.

“Leonix.”

Everything froze as she zeroed in on the lion-fish fishman, everyone following her line of sight to find a very nervous and scared looking fishman waving his fingers at the girl.

“H-Hey, it’s been a while, haha, you look well, still as strong as ever, uhm...”

“I remember saying I never wanted to see your face again.” Kou was acting strange, her battle aura had taken a sharp turn, going from her normal raging inferno of anger to something different, something colder. Something dark and oppressive and not right.

“No-no, I-I promise I was planning on returning to Fishmen Island, I swear, I would never break my word to the Black Phoenix, p-please believe me!” The fishman was in tears, begging to a mere human.

Black Phoenix, she hadn't heard that name since she had left Dawn Island, left her past to find her future. It was a well-earned epithet, one drenched in blood and death and drugs, but one she had hoped to never hear again.

“The Black Phoenix is gone, just like my patience with you." With a flick of her fingers, vines shot from the ground, tangling around the lion-fishman's limbs and pulling him to the ground. With a hollow crack, the vines went limp as the fishman inside the cocoon became still. "I told you, you were a dead man walking."

Everyone watched in shock and horror as the demon turned to look at her equally stunned crewmen. “Let’s finish this.” She motioned to the three fishmen that were clearly the strongest after Arlong, most likely commanders or something.

Silence, thick and heavy, as the fishmen reevaluated their enemies. Hatchan couldn’t let this battle drag out with such a monster on the field. Turning to call on Momoo, the octopus fishman hoped that the Sea-Cow would be enough to deal with such a threat.

Arlong smirked as Momoo rose from the sea, a monstrous silhouette that was sure to put true fear into those meddling pirates. Except no, the weak, ugly creatures looked unsurprised and unimpressed.

“I see… makes sense why you’re so far from home.” Kou glanced at the sea-cow out of the corner of her eyes, without fully taking her attention away from the fishmen.

“Ah, so it was with the fishmen.” Sanji nodded in understanding.

Momoo spotted the man that had beat it up, and the girl that had talked about dissection and selling its scale! Turning Momoo decided this was a fight better left alone. But then Arlong spoke up, and Arlong was just as scary as those humans and would turn Momoo into sashimi for running away. Charging at the humans, mouth open and ready to chomp down Momoo was quickly reminded why the humans were so scary.

Sanji lept into the sky and landed a devastating kick on the Sea-Cow, sending it flying over the stone gates. Zoro dealt with the charging fishmen, and once Sanji joined the flashing swords with equally dangerous kicks, the only people remaining standing were Kou's pirate crew and the three commanders who hadn't joined in the charge.

“For someone who claims to be the superior species, you sure do like to avoid proving it in battle.”

“Che, I'll show you who is the superior species." Arlong moved from his position sitting in the rubble of the wall, walking towards the human pirates.

“Arlong, you can’t go berserk out here, you’ll destroy the Park!”

“I just want to talk with the little pest.” Arlong leaned over the growling girl, catching the punch she threw at him and pulling her up by her arm. “You humans are so small, always fighting against nature to try and be stronger than you really are.”

Kou moved to kick at the fishman, hoping to knock the smug look off his face. Instead, her leg was caught in the saw-sharks jaws, serrated teeth cutting deep into the flesh of her shin and the iron-strong jaw snapping her bones in a sickening crunch. Her screams of pain were quickly covered by rushing water as the fishman threw her into the water.

“I heard the Devil Fruit users can’t swim, pity she can’t breathe underwater like a fishman.” With that Arlong moved back to his now shattered throne. “Kill them all.” He waved dismissively at the gathered humans.

“KOUREI!” Sanji yelled as he moved to jump into the sea-pool, only for Zoro’s arm to shoot out and stop him.

“Idiot, these are fishmen, if you jump in there you’ll get ripped to shreds.”

“But the captain!”

“Let’s deal with them first.” Zoro motioned at the approaching fishmen.

“Shitty swordsman, you better not lose."

“Big talk for a pervert-cook." Was Zoro's reply as the two humans fell into the battle with the fishmen.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Kou remembers dying. She liked to believe that if you die once, there isn't really much to fear the second time; after all, she already knows what happens.

Even without the fear of what happens after, it still hurts, your body turning against you as the darkness pulls you down, down, down. Or maybe the pain was from her broken leg and the radiating shocks of salt water entering her bleeding, broken flesh. Maybe it was the pain of helplessness, her body locked up and unable to even twitch in her salty prison; damn if she didn’t regret eating that fucking fruit every other day. Already she felt her lungs screaming for air, the pressure in her throat of holding her final breath; a desperate reminder that this was it, she wasn’t going to see twenty.

The final gasp of her body, briny water scorching past her lips and down into her lungs as the black finally took over her vision. The peaceful embrace of death.

Heaving pain, the gasping, desperate inhales as water ran down her face. Turning to vomit, the gut-wrenching pain of her leg warring with the stinging, the choking pain of salt water exiting her mouth and nose. The sickening feeling of death clawing at her chest, while precious life-giving air filled her water-damaged lungs. Flopping onto her back, wincing as the movement jostled her pained body she could only let out a single word.

“F-fuck.”

“No time for that, your friends are about to be dead meat!”

Kou squinted at the sight of Nami's older sister, soaked powder blue hair and running make-up. Guess she wasn't going to be dying today then. Glancing at her broken and bleeding leg, and wow was that a bit of bone sticking out, no-n0-no don't think about it, just get up and fight.

“Set it.”

“W-what?”

“I said set it," Kou ripped the sleeve from her borrowed shirt, rolling it into a make-shift gag; she'd rather bite blood and waterlogged clothes than her tongue after all. "Can't fight like this, get the bones aligned and I can do the rest."

Nojiko stared, if only for a second, before gritting her teeth and moving towards the girl’s leg. She only waited long enough for the girl to bite down on the rolled cloth and then grabbing the leg on either side of the protruding bones she set them in a swift motion.

Kou’s screams pierced through even the gag, but she only had seconds to process and put away the pain, her powers responding as her leg was consumed by wood, the entire limb becoming solid and stable, but no longer human. The jagged, bleeding wound was now stopped, for now, but Kou knew the moment she let go of her powers that the leg would become flesh again. It was numb for now and that was all she needed.

Nojiko watched in shock as the skin of the darker girl rippled and split, bark the color of fresh blood replacing the skin of her joints and limbs. Whatever this girl was it was clearly not human.

“Help me up.”

Nojiko numbly did as asked, providing the leverage the demon girl needed to stand. The girl wobbled for a second before straightening her stance.

“Stand back, I’ve never tried this before.”

“What?”

Kou grit her teeth, crouching into a deep stance and poured as much strength as she could into her legs. She remembered Grandfather doing this all the time so it couldn't be too hard. The pressure of the energy cracking the ground where she stood. Shooting off like a rocket, the ground where she had once stood shattered, Kou flew. Flying through the air at a reckless speed, the cutting wind bringing tears to her eyes as she went up, up, up, until gravity finally won and pulled her down, down, down. Spinning faster and faster as she fell, Kou prayed this wouldn't shatter her now wooden leg.

“TREE HAMMER!”

The shock wave from her kick was delayed, the crater seeming to deepen in layers as Arlong was driven into the ground and Kou bore down on the fishman with her leg, eyes ablaze.

Leaping off the now buried fishman the girl flipped into the air and landed on her uninjured leg, waiting. Looking at her broken and bleeding crewmen, her face split into a hideous snarl as she growled out at the two. “Sanji, take Zoro, now.”

The cook didn’t hesitate to pull the heavily bleeding man’s arm over his shoulder and limp to the safety of the wall, where the people of the village were staring in wonder.

Arlong stood, shaky and unsteady, but he got back up from the attack none the less. Turning to look at the panting girl he smirked as he reset the nose that her little kick had broken and spit out the broken teeth sitting on his tongue.

“Was that the best you can do?”

“Ha, that was just a warm-up." Even as she said that Kou had to catch herself from wobbling and falling over.

“You inferior humans, clinging on as if you hadn’t already been cursed from the start to be lesser. Just give up and bow to Fishmen as the superior species.”

“Eat shit fish face.” Kou flipped off the gloating fishman as she tried to catch her breath.

Arlong charged at the girl, snapping and biting at the girl as she dodged and danced, her feet barely touching the ground as she avoided becoming shark food by mere inches. Shooting out his arm he was able to grab her in an attempt to pin her against a pillar, except pain shot across his hands as thorns the size of fingers pierced through the skin, from palm to back, forcing him to release the tricky human.

She hopped just out of reach as he examined his bleeding hand. This lowly human, this inferior creature, had hurt him, had made him bleed. Seems she wanted to make him serious then. Letting himself fall back into the waiting arms of the water in the sea pool, he waited as the silhouette approached the edge.

“Shark Darts.”

Arlong flew from the water at speeds no mere human could achieve, nose first and jaws wide.

Kou fell backward into a bridge as the speeding torpedo that was a fishman grazed her, ripping the entire front of her shirt and turning the clothes into a useless vest. Flipping around she found Arlong standing on the second floor of the building behind her, staring down at her, smug and vicious.

“I am surprised you could dodge that one, now let’s see how long you can keep it up. Shark Darts!”

Again the fishman sent himself flying at the figure on the ground, his nose piercing the ground and shattering the edge of the sea pool. A line of blood opened along the human’s arm, seemed she was getting slower.

Sinking below the surface, Arlong grinned viciously, the taste of victory and the smell of the human’s blood mingling into a heady feeling of pride. He was the superior species and his victory was guaranteed.

Shooting from the water, Arlong only had enough time to notice the wooden arm that the human had thrown up in defense before his nose pierced right through the limb; the human skidded back a few feet but did not fall. Arlong had been stopped.

The bark skin that had spotted the arm had condensed to a single point, a band of bloody bark and bleeding wood replacing skin and bones and weak human flesh.

“Checkmate."

Kou flexed her arm, the trapped nose becoming covered in the spreading wood within seconds, and then a twist. Arlong felt nothing at first, then blinding, horrible, pain. There was the bloody stub of where his unbreakable nose had once been attached to his face. Once.

An overpowering scream ripped from the saw-shark, blood coating his face and pain clouding his mind. Then blank. The snapping of his conscious mind was almost audible as he fell into berserk mode.

Charging with abandon, the drive to bite and kill and consume overcoming any plan or attempt at strategy. The human kept leaping and dodging and when his hand wrapped around the handle of Kiribachi, he knew this battle was won. Attacking with wild slashes, cutting ground and building but still that damnable human kept dodging and dancing, leading the duo up and up until the human tumbled into the topmost room. Nami’s room.

Kou stumbled and slipped on a pile of papers in the room, falling on her back and making pain jolt through her bruised and bleeding body. She was running on empty and had to find a way to end this, and fast. Looking up at the sound of crunching glass and stone, her eyes found a snarling Arlong.

“I see you found Nami’s room, impressive isn’t it, her talent at making sea charts and map.” The fishman was proud of what Nami could achieve, but not for the fact that she had such an amazing talent. He was smug about her talent as if it was his own, property of him and no one else. Like a child bragging about a toy that they can break and toss away without worry or care.

“Now you see how wasted she would be with such a pathetic human like you, her talent will help me rule the East Blue and then the whole world, I will make this world a fishmen paradise, and you, you won’t even be a whisper in the breeze. Could you ever use her as effectively as ME!?”

With that Arlong pulled his sword back and swung for the pathetic human’s neck, the singing of Kiribachi as it cut through the air. And then stopped. His body froze, the crushing, drowning, burning feeling of nothing and everything; choking, Arlong stared down to find two all-consuming black holes, the eyes of a King, glaring up at him.

“ **Use** **Her**?”

A flurry of movement, Kiribachi now drove so deep into the ground that it wouldn't move, and the room becoming a mess of papers and broken furniture as the human, the demon tore through it. Hands and fingers and thorns and feet lashing out and out and out as vine grew along the walls, creeping and slow and dangerous.

Arlong tried to attack, grabbing and biting and punching and finding only air and writhing vines that were tight and sharp and more and more and more.

“I told you," Kou looked down at the trapped fishman, held down by wood and vines and her fury in the now broken and destroyed the room, "you'll never make Nami cry again."

Rumbling deep in the earth, a buckling, trembling, as her powers dug deep into her bone and deeper still, pulling from her very soul as her life-force took root. Then an explosion, a tree shooting up up up, wrapping and twisting and crushing the building that was once Arlong Park, and now Arlong’s Prison.

The screams of the fishman could be heard from the courtyard as the people below watched in fascination and horror as the tree grew and grew, taller than the now twisted and covered building. Thick trunk warping and aging and all that remained of Arlong Park was a bleeding tree and the echoing screams trapped within, forever.

Time was frozen, no one breathed, no one moved, all they could do was watch and wait. Seconds ticked by, minutes, finally, something. A ripple, like a leaf falling on water, at the base of the tree. Melting from the bark, achingly slow and heaving with effort, was a spirit from legend. A Kodama, with wooden flesh and bark skin and empty black eyes.

Just as the spirit appeared, it was replaced by a bloody, very human Kourei. Her legs gave out from under her, her broken limb bleeding anew as she smiled at Nami.

“You're free." She spoke through bloody teeth, grinning in victory before falling forward, unconscious before her face even hit the ground.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... I did warn you guys shit was going to be dark.
> 
> Yes, I did write Loenix as a plot device, but Kou did warn him that she would kill him the next time she saw him. Also, I may or may not address the crews' reactions to Kou's casual murder. Probably not directly though.
> 
> Is Kou's fruit getting stronger? Yes. Why? Because she is using it and developing her control, in addition, to breaking her limits. Luffy had his fruit since he was like 7, Kou has only had hers for maybe three years. Takes time to learn her limits, and to find new and creative uses.
> 
> Black Pheonix will not be Kou's pirate name, but it will come up later(much later) in the story. Probably. World building, yay.
> 
> Final note. I try to avoid using 'random' Japanese in this story for many reasons (i.e. -chan, -kun, 'nakama', baka, etc.) but certain words will sneak in. 'Kodama' is an example of this just because of the lore behind the mythical spirit the name embodies, but also because the terms 'forest spirit' or 'tree spirit' are too vague and broad in this context. In this essay, I will.


End file.
